


Adventures Of Steel

by pegyunicorn



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Jesse Cosay/Lake - Freeform, Tulip Olsen/Mikayla
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22943230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pegyunicorn/pseuds/pegyunicorn
Summary: Metallic justice comes to Arizona.I see a lot of stories that pretty much just over look the fact that Lake is made of shiny reflective metal and she becomes a normal girl while I was like. "Wow she's almost indestructible and super strong. Sounds like a superhero." So I wrote this.
Comments: 30
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

"When is he going to come out?" Lake asked as she reclined in the passenger seat of Jesse's car. Time had changed little for the metallic girl possibly due to her unique biology. Even though a few years had passed she looked mostly the same though she had grown a few inches taller. How did a metal girl grow? Lake didn't really care. She wore a pair of black boots that stuck out the window as she relaxed. She still rocked a bit of punk rock vibe having pierced her nose with a hydraulic press pushing the machine to its limits for the same procedure that could be done in a minute at a tattoo parlor. She had also taken to wearing some form of jacket or hoodie to prevent her from glittering like a disco ball under the Arizona sun. Not like the heat bothered her, Arizona may get hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalks but it didn't get nearly hot enough to melt chrome.

"He may be talking to his friends or something." Jesse said tapping the steering wheel. He had grown much more, his face a bit more angular as boyish baby fat vanished. He had a bit of scruff on his chin that he was hoping would soon grow into a beard. He now wear the jersey of his college's swim team instead of his high school's.

Lake tugged on the prison she had to wear over her face. "He better not be making me wait in this damn thing." She pulled at the mask over her face. It was her way of blending in. On close inspection people may notice it was a mask but it was well made and customized to be perfectly fit her head. The first mask she got looked exactly like Tulip. Lake tried it on once before ripping it off and taking it outside to burn. She didn't reflect her prime for years just to wear her face. Her new mask was of a girl with a tan and not a pale ghost like Tulip, it looked different enough for Lake. While Lake hated wearing it she chose to wear it herself to protect Jesse's family from people wondering where the weird metal girl came from.

"It is weird that he isn't out yet." Jesse said watching the door of his old high school that Nate now went to. 

Lake looked around. "None of the little shits are out yet. You sure your clock's right?"

"Yeah school ended ten minutes ago." Jesse said as he waited in line to pick up his brother along with other parents and siblings. "Look someone's walking by the door."

Lake watched as a figure passed by the mostly glass door. He was tall and wore what look like a trench coat. Lake saw a metal pipe poking out from underneath the coat. Lake felt her blood run cold when she saw a bit more of it and realized it wasn't a pipe but a gun. "Call the police."

"Huh? Why?" Jesse followed her and saw the gun as well. "Oh shit! My brother's class is down that hall!"

Lake ripped her dumb mask off and jumped out of Jesse's car. She charged straight towards the floor to ceiling window that surrounded the glass doors. The gunman was right behind it. She knew schools had much stronger glass than homes but she had one shot. If she could smash through she'd land right on the gunman and be able to rip the gun from his hand before he fired a shot. That was a key part she knew she was tough but was she bulletproof? Lake figured it be best not to find out.

The gunman turned when she was less than a foot from the window. Lake meet his eyes as she turned and hit the window with her shoulder. The glass tried to hold but a girl made out of solid metal putting all of her momentum into it was too much. The laminated glass broke in large sheets. The gunman expecting to be showered in glass covered his face only to be tackled to the ground by a girl who weighed far more than her height and build suggested. His rifle went sliding across the ground firing once from the impact. 

"Get off me!" He screamed trying to push Lake off. 

"Fuck you!" Lake replied trying to grab the guys arms and pin them.

The man still not having gotten a look at the girl tried to headbutt her. This proved to be a big mistake as he impacted something more like a steel beam than a person's head. He looked up at the shiny face above him. "What the fuck?! Your metal?!"

"Just now noticing that now jackass?" Lake spat.

The guy pulled a pistol from his hip and pressed it to Lake's gut. 

Lake felt the gun and rolled off him right before the gunshot rang out. Both of them sprang to their feet and Lake charged him again. She grabbed his arm preventing him from aiming at her. "Stop this! I don't know why you decided to do this but it isn't worth it!"

"Your right you don't know why I'm doing this but let me tell you everyone here deserves this!" He yelled trying to wrench his gun from her cast iron grip.

"Everyone? I know people can be dicks but they're also plenty of good people. Can't you think of anyone who doesn't deserve to die? Cause I'm certain there's at least a few!" Lake said starting to twist his arm down.

"Shut the fuck up! You have no ideal what it's like to not fit in anywhere!"

"I'm fucking made of metal! I can't walk outside without blinding anyone who looks at me in the sunlight!" Lake shot back. "There is a better way to deal with this dude!"

"I tried to make friends but they laughed! I tried to get dates but they laughed! I try to tell my parents about it and they laugh!" The gunman yelled.

"Then they're dicks but that doesn't give you the right to become one to!" Lake yanked the guy in close and locked eyes with him. "Look into my eyes! I know you haven't killed anyone yet! Well I have I killed someone years ago! I ground him to powder against a wheel! I still have nightmares of his screams but he was going to kill me! Even out of self defense it still fucks you up! So even if you're convinced that no one else deserves to live then stop this for yourself! Please! Your not a cruel person I can tell I've seen cruelty and I know what it looks like! This is your last chance police are coming, don't give them a chance to kill you! Prove to everyone you're better than they claimed you are!"

The boy was silent then he dropped the gun in his hand. "I didn't even shoot anyone, do you think I'll get in trouble?"

Lake sighed letting go of his hand and putting her hand on his shoulder. "Yeah dude. I think you will get in some pretty big trouble. Look I'm not a cop or a lawyer. I don't hear sirens yet if you want to make a run for it I won't stop you. That said I think you'll best bet is to face the music. You're still under eighteen I'd guess so you'll probably be tried as a minor. If you turn yourself in, I think you'll get off a lot lighter."

"Ok." The boy said sadly. "I'll do that."

They heard a bunch of sirens approaching and the boy started crying. "Hey, it'll be ok." Lake comforted. 

"Will you go out there with me?" The boy asked. "I'm scared."

Lake really didn't want to but she saw the same fear in his eyes as she felt when the Flecks were after her. "Yeah dude. I've got your back."

"What's your name?" The boy asked. "I want to know who to thank for saving me."

"My name is Lake."

"That's your real name?" The boy asked not in a condescending way but more concerned.

"Yeah." 

"You need a new one. Your a superhero, and you need a superhero name."

Lake laughed. "Dude I'm not a hero just a girl who saw a bad situation and did something about it."

"Your made of metal and you just smashed glass like it was paper. I know that school's glass is tougher than regular glass. Your a superhero, maybe this was just a one time thing but still you were a superhero today." 

"Attention! This is the police! We have the building surrounded come out with your hands up!" A voice called through a megaphone outside.

"Ok dude. You ready?" Lake asked. 

"No but I don't have a choice." The boy's voice shook.

Lake took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm with you dude."

Lake walked towards the door with the boy she screamed around the corner. "We're coming out! He surrenders! He's unarmed he dropped his guns!" She turned to the gunman. "You did drop your weapons right? All of them?" 

"Yeah."

Lake and the boy slowly crept around the corner all four of their hands in the air. Lake stepped out and immediately heard a bang she threw herself and the boy to the ground who she heard scream. "Don't shoot! I said we're surrendering dammit!"

"Hold fire!" One of the cops shouted. "Who the fuck shot?"

"Sir I saw something metal and thought it was a gun." A different cops said.

"I'm made of metal shit-for-brains!" Lake called out holding up her arm that shined in the sunlight. "You alright?" She asked the boy she had been fighting just a few minutes ago.

"I think I got hit in the leg." He said in a panic.

"Damn. Hey! You shoot him in the leg!" She yelled towards the police.

"Fuck." The cop behind the megaphone muttered before speaking into it again. "Can he walk?"

"Can you?" Lake asked.

"If I lean on you yeah."

"He'll have to lean on me! Going to make it hard to keep our hands up!" She shouted back.

The cop considered his options. "Stay there we'll come to you. Lay down with your arms spread."

"She isn't with me! She talked me down from hurting anyone! You can't arrest her!" The boy yelled back.

"We have to put her in cuffs till we figure the situation out. If that's true we'll let her go right away." The cop replied.

"It's fine dude. It's just till they figure out what's happening." Lake reassured the guy rolling off him and doing what the cops said. "Ok! We're doing what you said!"

Lake could only hear the stomping of boots as the S.W.A.T team approached. She felt her arms being yanked back and put in handcuffs. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about how similar this felt to when the Flecks caught her.

They yanked her up first clearly straining to hoist a chunk of living metal up. "She's really fucking metal." One of the S.W.A.T guys said in disbelief.

"It's probably just paint." The other cop said skeptically.

They began arguing over whether she was really metal. The back and forth providing Lake a helpful escape from her thoughts about the Flecks. "Dudes I really am metal." Lake joined in as she was walked towards the cop cars. 

"No way girl." Skeptic Cop said.

"Dude you felt how heavy she was." Believer Cop told him. "How much do you weigh?"

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a girl that?" Lake said with a smirk.

"She had to weigh between two fifty to three hundred pounds. No way a girl her size can weight that much." Believer Cop said.

"I mean I see your point but there has to be a better explanation than she's literally made of metal." Skeptic Cop said sounding less and less certain.

"Dudes check this out. If I was just painted metal would the inside of my mouth be painted?" Lake said as she was set down on the curve.

Skeptic Cop pulled out his flashlight. "Do it." Lake opened her mouth and he shined his light in his jaw dropping in the process. "Holy shit!"

Believer Cop jumped in joy. "I told you man! I fucking told you! Holy shit! She's a fucking superhero! A real life superhero!" By this point almost all the cops were around Lake save the few that remembered why they were here in the first place and were taking the gunman to an ambulance.

"How?" One cop asked.

Lake decided that she didn't trust these people with the truth. She smirked. "What can I say I listened to a lot of metal music."

The cops laughed. "Shit I'm going to go home and listen to Metallica till I either go deaf or get super powers." One said.

She laughed with them as she watched Jesse push his way to the police tape. He looked like he was considering going past it but Lake shook her head. 'I'm fine. Go home.' She mouthed silently.

Jesse looked like he wasn't sure but Lake continued. 'If I'm not back by tomorrow then get Tulip but for now get Nate and take him home.'

Jesse nodded. 'I love you.' He mouthed back and Lake smiled.

'I know.' She said smiling she didn't want to say it now like it was a goodbye. She'd show him how she felt once she was free.

\--------

"Breaking news. A school shooting in Arizona was stopped before anyone got hurt by the actions of what witnesses are describing as a superhero made of metal." A T.V. new anchor said upon a television screen.

"Interesting." A man said watching. "A honest to God superhero." The man said setting down a model train he had been painting.

"It's probably nothing." A woman said standing naked in front of a mirror examining herself from every angle.

"I disagree. Go check it out." The man said as he began mixing colors to get just the right shade of green.

The woman groaned. "Do I have to?"

"You don't have to. I could always just not pay you for today." The man told the woman.

The woman gestured to her body. "Do you know how long I worked to get this just right?"

"Too long." The man examined the naked woman with a body to put a model to shame. "Far too much. You stand out which is the opposite of what I pay you to do. Change into something more inconspicuous before you leave."

The woman huffed and walked away flipping him off as she passed by.

The man shook his head. "Good help is so hard to find these days." He picked back up the train and with his green brush painted an infinity symbol on the front of the train.

\-----

Lake was led into the police through the police office. So far the cops had been so enamored by having a metallic superhero that they seemed to forget she was technically in their custody till Lake herself reminded them in hopes of getting this over with. Things were going well until they led her to the room they planned on questioning her in. Lake walked in and immediately dug her heels in slamming herself and the two cops guiding her to a stop. "Nope. Not happening."

"Hey whats up?" The once Skeptic Cop said.

Lake froze staring at the wall length mirror in the room. She knew from cop shows it was likely a one way mirror. "I um kinda have a weird thing about mirrors." She chuckled.

The cops looked at each other confused. "Um okay?"

Lake sighed. "Look you guys called me a superhero. Well if I'm a superhero mirrors are my kryptonite. I've gotten better with them. I know that they can't hurt me out here but they still weird me out."

"Can we do this in a different room?" Believer cop asked to which Skeptic Cop shrugged.

"Take her to my office." The trio spun around to see an older man in his fifties with dark skin and a full beard. His badge was different from the rest marking him not as a cop or deputy as she had been dealing with but as the sheriff.

"Sheriff Langston, we'll take her there immediately." The two officers behind her said saluting.

The man watched them walk by and soon Lake was lead to a large but relatively simple office. It had a desk a few filling cabinets and two chairs opposite the desk. The only form of decoration was pictures but they were plenty of pictures to make up for missing plants or paintings. Pictures of the elected officials shaking the sheriff's hand. Pictures of the sheriff helping volunteers after what looked like some kind of disaster judging by the destruction around him. But most pictures were of him a blond woman and three children. A wedding picture, three pictures of the growing family at the hospital welcoming the newest members to their family. Vacation pics, birthday celebrations and the oldest child and only daughter in front of a college.

"My oldest Annabelle, she goes by Anna. She's going studying criminology and forensics. She wants to be a CSI." The sheriff said startling Lake. 

Lake watched as the sheriff walked around and sat at the office chair behind the desk. "That's pretty cool. She must be pretty smart."

The Sheriff smiled. "Sure is." He looked at his officer who awkwardly stood in the room. "Uncuff her and get out of my office. And tell the dumb ass that shot the gunman to come to my office. Tell him he may want to lubricate his ass first so my boot goes in easier."

Lake was freed from her very unfashionable jewelry. "So, what happens now?" Lake questioned as soon as the door was shut.

"First thing's first." The Sheriff reached over the desk his hand offered. "Name's Scott Langston, Sheriff for Maricopa County."

Lake took his hand. "I'm La-" Lake paused remembering the gunman telling her she needed a superhero name. For all she knew she was about to be taken to a government research lab in Area 51. To protect herself and Jesse and his family she needed an alias. The cops mistook her for being made of steel, so she took that and ran with it. "Let's go with Steel."

"Steel huh? That sounds like something straight off a comic book." Sheriff Langston spun his chair to look at the picture of his family. "You know today almost became the next great tragedy."

Lake crossed her shiny arms. "Yeah I know. You're welcome by the way." She snarked.

"My middle child was at that high school." He turned back to her with tears in his eyes. "Thanks to you I don't have to bury my son. Thank you Steel."

"Well… shit. You're welcome. For real this time not just being an asshole." Lake said awkwardly rubbing her arm. "What will happen to the kid."

"I'll do my best to make sure he gets off easy. He was the only person hurt today so there's no need to throw the book at him." The sheriff promised.

"Thanks. I know what evil looks like and he wasn't evil just a confused kid doing something insanely stupid." Lake told him.

"Even if I did throw him to the wolves it wouldn't do anything. He's a symptom of a much larger illness in this country. Still enough about politics, there's a metal girl in front of me and I have more than a few questions." He unpinned the badge from his chest. "This isn't a police investigation. This is just a grateful father wanting to know about the person who saved his kid's life. Where are you from?"

"Look Sheriff, you seem nice but I don't know if I can trust anyone with that. Plus for all I know knowing could put you in danger." Lake explained.

Sheriff Langston nodded. "I understand. Still can I take a guess?" 

Lake shrugged. "Sure."

"See when I first became sheriff all the extra work put a strain on me. I spent all my time working and when I was with my family I was a bit of an asshole. I complained about every little thing that went wrong, I didn't take my wife out on dates, I missed school events for my kids and when I was at home I just didn't make an effort to spend anytime with them. Then one day my wife and I got into an argument about it and I stormed out. I drove around for a bit till a train stopped across a railroad crossing it's door open and I felt the need to enter." The sheriff stared into Lake's eyes. "That train was full of the weirdest shit I've ever seen and on that train a metal girl wouldn't even have made me raise an eyebrow. So tell me Lake. You're from the train aren't you?"

Lake smiled. "Your a smart man Sheriff Langston. Let's leave it at that. I assume that that… experience made you value your family more?"

"Definitely I told my wife I went out for a hike and got lost. Told her that having to survive out in the wilderness taught me to value what I had. I talked to my kids and told them my job was demanding and I might miss somethings but I promised them they will always come first. So far I think I've been doing a good job at that." Langston said

"That's good." Lake smiled. "Glad to know for as crazy and dangerous the train can be it does some good."

"So Steel. You plan on continuing this whole superhero thing?" The Sheriff asked.

"I don't know. Today I was in the right place at the right time. If I see someone who needs help I'll help them but I don't know if I want to go looking for trouble." Lake said.

The sheriff nodded. "That's fair. I can't blame you if this was enough danger to last you a lifetime. Let me ask you this, how did it make you feel?"

Lake thought about it. "It made me feel a lot of things anger, fear and… and excited all at once." 

"Well I'm no lawyer but I think everything you did today falls under good Samaritan laws and such. Plus it'd take a pretty hard ass jury to find you guilty. So if you wanted to keep doing this I'd appreciate it but at the same time today you did more than I could ever have hoped for. Do whatever you think is best for you Steel." The sheriff advised.

Lake thought about everything that had happened. She imagined what it would have been like for Jesse and his family if Nate had died today. How hurt they would be. She pictured Jesse in a black suit standing over a coffin. She pictured herself seeing Nate's body in the casket. The kid could be annoying but she knew from reflecting Tulip and listening to her friends complain about their siblings that was just his job as a little brother, both Jesse's and in time he became her little brother too. Everyday that nightmare was a reality for some family somewhere.

"Sheriff Langston, criminals in the Valley of the Sun had best look out. They're is a superhero in town now." Lake announced.


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse paced back and forth in front of the door as the sun began to set bathing his home in orange light. It had been a few hours since Lake stopped the gunman at Nate's school and he hadn't heard anything. Well that wasn't true, every news station was reporting on the supposedly metal girl but it didn't help Jesse. He didn't need to know what Lake had done he just needed to know that she was ok. 

So focused on his concerns that he didn't hear someone walking up behind him till a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder. Normally someone sneaking up on him would have scared him out of his own skin but today he was too tired to do more than turn his head to see who it was. Nate, now almost as tall as him, looked at him with worry. "She's going to be okay dude. You have to believe in her."

Jesse nodded knowing it was true. Lake was tougher than anyone he ever had met and not just because she was metal. She was just as strong inside as she was on the outside. He had to believe she would be ok but worry ate at him like acid.

"I told her I love her today." Jesse said. "Mouthed it to her when the cops were arresting them both."

Nate knew his brother had a crush on his metallic friend but he had been too scared to tell her. "What did she say?"

"She said 'I know'." Jesse said.

Nate chuckled a little. "I told you showing her 'Star Wars' was a mistake." The younger brother watched Jesse look anxiously out the window. "Tell you what, lets go hang out outside. It's cooled off now that the sun is setting and we'll see Lake right away. I'll grab us some drinks."

Jesse smiled. "Thanks dude."

"Yeah sure you can repay me by doing my chores."

\---------------------------------

'Deep breath you can do this. You brushed your teeth like five times and have been chewing gum all day. You got this.' 

"Tulip!"

"AHHH!" The redheaded girl spun to see her friend Mikayla right behind her. "Oh um hey. Why did you have to yell right in my ear?"

"Cause you were... what's the nerd word for it, AFK?" 

Tulip playfully shoved her friend. "I wasn't AFK, but I am proud that you're learning. I was thinking. Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Aw it's cute you think you can out sass the sass master. What were you thinking about?" Mikayla asked scooting closer to Tulip on the girls bed. Tulip had invited her over tonight after school for a particular reason and now seemed like a good time to stop stalling and do this.

"I was thinking about someone I like." Tulip said.

Mikayla squealed. "OMG do you mean like-like?"

"Yes, I ‘like-like’ them. I was thinking about asking them out." Tulip said her face coloring closer to matching her hair.

"Tell me everything about him." Mikayla said.

"It's… a her actually. I don't think I ever been attracted to a boy. I think i'm either a lesbian or bisexual." Tulip said laying down on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. 

"Well if you realize your bi we can match." Mikayla said holding up a beaded bracelet she had made to to look like the Bisexual flag. "Still if you lesbian I can make a pride bracelet for that to."

"Thanks, Mikayla. I guess she's beautiful, funny, but most of all she's always been with me. Supporting me and stuff." Tulip said blushing. "What should I do?"

Mikayla smiled but Tulip thought she looked a bit sad. "Just go for it Tulip, if she's smart she'll realize how lucky she is you feel that way about her. Do you know if she likes other girls?"

"Yeah she's bi." Tulil told her friend. 

"Then just do whatever feels right. Follow your heart." Mikayla advised.

"Okay." Tulip said cupping Mikayla's face in her hands and kissing her long time friend.

Mikayla made a squeak at first that Tulip couldn't wait to tease her for before she deepened the kiss while running her hands through Tulip's hair.

\-------

It was night time when Lake had the police drop her off. She was tempted to have them drop her off right at the Cosay's house but she still didn't trust anyone with knowing where Jesse and her honorary family lives. Instead she had the cop drop her off near a park she often visited with Jesse and Nate. She knew the way back from here. 

It was only about ten minutes to Jesse's house but Lake being extra cautious or maybe just paranoid spent almost thirty minutes serpentining her way through bushes and trees hoping to lose anyone who may be following her. When she did see Jesse's house she hoped the fence to the back yard and eased around the corner. After what felt like an eternity Lake laid eyes on Jesse sitting on the steps to the porch. Wrapped in a blanket as the Sonoran desert dipped into the low forties with the wind chilling it further. The former train passenger was fast asleep with his head resting against the handrail. 

Lake walked over to Jesse and knelt down to be even with his sleeping face. She reached out and flicked him. He jerked awake rubbing his head where she had hit him. "Oh what the crap?" His eyes began to focus as he looked at her. "Lake?" He asked still in a daze before everything clicked. "LAKE! OH THANK GOD YOUR OK!" He said launching into her and hugging her as tight as he could.

"I told you I'd be fine dork." She said hugging him back.

"What happened? The police... and then the gun guy... and the news was saying... and you... and Nate told me?!" Jesse rambled off not forming a single coherent question.

Lake just laughed covering Jesse's flapping mouth with her hand. "Dude just chill. I'll tell you everything but first, before I got arrested you said you loved me." Lake said beginning to blush.

While Lake's blush was light Jesse completely changed colors. "What? No you...um... must have misread my lips." He told her.

Lake flicked him again. "Dude I can read lips great, it's a useful skill for Mirror People, and I know what you said. So next time you lie I'm gonna do more than just flick you."

"Ok, ok yeah I did. I love you Lake, you're badass, funny, kind even though you act tough and pretty as hell. But I don't want it to mess up our friendship. So I-" Jesse was interrupted as Lake used her strength and weight to push him back and pin him to the porch.

"It's about damn time." She said before leaning down to kiss him.

Jesse had wondered what Lake's lips would taste like, along with other parts of her but that's puberty for you, now that he was kissing her she seemed like any other girl. "You don't taste like pennies."

"What?" Lake asked confused as hell.

"I thought you'd taste like pennies." Jesse told her realized he killed the moment.

"I'm chrome dumbass not copper." Lake said before thinking. "What do I taste like?"

"Nothing really. What do I taste like?" Jesse asked.

Lake didn't even need to think. "Corndogs."

"Oh yeah that's what I ate last. Hey chrome isn't like toxic is it?" Jesse asked.

"I…" lake started to reply before she realized she had no ideal.

"Depends if she's chromium II or Chromium III. If she Chrome II your good your body needs some chrome II to function but if she's chrome III well… you won't be having kids Jesse." The pair turned to see Nate on his phone. "I googled it. This is the CDC's website."

Lake stated at Nate for a moment before she hopped off Jesse. "You better not have taken any pictures of us with that phone you little shit!"

Nate ran off laughing. "Even better! I've got a video of you sucking his face!"

Jesse watched Lake chase his brother around the yard. 'I'm glad you're ok Lake.' He thought watching his metallic crush put his brother in a headlock and demanded he delete the video.

\--------

Tulip breathed heavily under the covers of her bed. "I'm really glad my parents aren't home." She said. 

Mikayla equally out of breath nodded. "I told you I was loud in bed."

"Soooooo… that was fun but are we like dating now?" Tulip asked.

"I mean I kinda thought that's what you wanted so yeah. We're dating now." Mikayla told her.

"Awesome. So what now?" Tulip asked.

Mikayla shrugged. "Beats me. Normally couples fall asleep after they get freaky but that's like after you're married. Plus I don't want your mom to catch me cuddling up to you while we're both naked."

"Yeah plus I drank way too much caffeine to sleep now. We still got a few hours before my mom comes home so we can cuddle. If you want to, that is." Tulip said.

"Yeah that sounds great. Plus I wanted to show you this video I found of a superhero." Mikayla said reaching over to grab her phone from her pants fortunately laying on the floor just a few feet away.

"And I thought I was the nerd. What is it like some new Marvel movie?" Tulip asked enjoying the view as Mikayla bent over the side of the bed giving the redhead a good view of her butt.

"No, it's a real superhero! Look!" Mikayla said laying her head on Tulip's shoulder.

Together they watched a grainy surveillance video of a girl smashing through glass and tackling some school shooter. Tulip watched amazed as this girl didn't seem to be fazed by punches or kicks. Suddenly the camera got a decent shot of her face and Tulip shot up. "MT!?"

"What's a MT?" Mikayla asked.

"Ok since we're dating now remember when I disappeared for a couple of months a couple of years ago?" Tulip asked.

"Yeah"

"We'll let me tell you what really happened." Tulip said, beginning to tell her about a dog, a robot and a train.

\-------------

"So are you positive this is what you want?" Stephan asked.

Lake nodded. "I can help people. I can make a real difference in the world. I can be a real hero."

Whittney nodded. "Lake. If this is what you want to do then go for it. I won't lie I was so proud watching you on the TV beat up that gunman and Nate wouldn't be here without you. That said I can't imagine how dangerous this will be."

"Which is why you'll have our full support if you promise to be prepared for anything. I got an old friend from college who trains soldiers in hand to hand fighting. I want you to go to him and learn how to fight." Stephan told her.

"That's fair." Lake agreed knowing having actual martial arts experience would be extremely useful.

"And you need to talk to this Sheriff Langston to make sure you won't get hurt. Some news are reporting that the gunman was hit with a ricochet off you. Find out if that's true and ask the sheriff if he thinks you're really bulletproof." Whitney told her honorary metallic child.

"Ok." Lake told them.

"Oh! You should find some tech genius who can make gadgets for you!" Jesse excitedly shouted.

"Yeah Lake you can't be a superhero without cool gadgets! Like a grappling hook!" Nate said just as excited as his brother.

"Where I'm going to find some genius who will help a metal superhero?" Lake asked.

\----- 

"What I'm I supposed to do now." An old woman said to a grave. She sit a small rose on the dirt above where the cool analytical part of her knew a skeleton's ribcage must be. "I spent my whole life on that train Alrick and now most women my age are retiring while I haven't done anything."

Amelia had nothing to her name all of her accounts were long since closed. Three decades on the train had meant she was long ago declared dead by the UK government. If she did return she'd be racked with debt from people wanting payments thirty years past due. No, she needed a fresh start. Slowly she got up from her place next to Alrick's grave and walked out of the cemetery.

Nearby was a small electronics store with televisions in the window. On them was some news story from America. A metal woman successfully stopped a school shooting. The news station seemed to be claiming it must be an elaborate lie but Amelia knew better. She'd recognize Tulip's face even after all these years.

She marched into the electronics shop. She needed a plane ticket but she'd need some gear to get through security without any form of id. She slapped all the cash she had on the counter before the bored pimply teen working the register. "I saw you did repairs. I want all the scrap electronics this can buy me."

Two days in an abandoned building and a lot of soldering later Amelia was hacking into airport computers and giving herself a first class ticket to Phoenix International.

\----------

Trains, model trains everywhere. Tracks ran from floor to ceiling raising and falling, weaving through each other and in the center sat a man. Working on new model trains to add to the mayhem or miniature locomotives.

"Steel huh?" He searched through a database. "I don't see a Steel. But you do look familiar. Let's see." He touched the screen pulling up a tape labeled 'Tulip Olsen'. He watched the girl,s memories of Dolphin World, of learning of her parents divorce. "That's you just not metal."

The man pulled out his phone and made a call. "Watchdog I need to look into something. Check out a woman named Tulip Olsen in Minnesota. I'll send you the exact coordinates. Tell me, and this may sound weird but just follow your orders and don't question, but tell me if she has a reflection… Don't worry about why just get it done Watchdog… Good boy, maybe I'll throw you a bone." With that he hung up and went back to his trains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've notice some people have said Tulip is from Wisconsin but the wiki says her mother's home is most likely in Minnesota and the creator is from Minnesota so that's what I went with.


	3. Chapter 3

A month had passed since Lake had fought the gunman at Nate's school but she hadn't been idle. At the moment she was tasting the Arizona soil for what felt like the one millionth time.

"Quit letting me sweep your legs Steel." A man in a military uniform told her. Stephan's military friend Mathew said after demonstrating a take down on the metallic girl. "Now. Unarm me." He said, pulling out a training gun that was really just carved wood.

Lake pushed herself back to her feet and charged at the giant of a man who stood almost a foot and half over her. He pointed the fake gun at her as she grabbed his wrist pushing his arm down and away from and punching him in the face. When he recoiled from the punch she slid her hand down his wrist to the gun and wrenched it from his hand.

"Better." He pulled a rubber knife from his belt and jammed it into Lake's ribs. "But not good enough."

Lake groaned. "Oh come on if that was a real knife it would have snapped before breaking my skin."

"Maybe, but who knows what people may come up with to kill you." Mike said. "Just because you can take a hit doesn't mean you should."

"Fine. Show me how to take a guy's knife." Lake said. This week had been hell pushing her muscles to the limit as Stephan had called the help of his tribal community. Stephan was Apache and took pride in his heritage and was one of the members of one of the Arizona branches of the tribe. The Cosays were well liked and since Stephan was one of the tribe's leaders almost everyone knew him. When he went to the tribe to ask if anyone could help Lake, he called her Steel on her request and only referred to her as the girl who saved Nate, plenty of people volunteered. Lake had been studying all kinds of things. She had learned tracking, wilderness survival, first aid and basic self-defense over the month. Now was the last and hardest bit. She was getting a crash course on Krav Maga trying to learn it as fast as humanly possible.

Mike demonstrated some ways to disarm a knife. "Now try." Mike was a very hands on teacher showing just once before he had his students try it. First he let them do the move in slow motion walking them though step by step before he had them do it as fast as possible. So far his teaching methods have been working for Lake.

Lake used one of the moves he showed her puting both arms in a hold and bending his forearm down at the elbow till he dropped the knife.

"Good you just about got it. I got one last thing I want to try. A final test." Mike said. "Go grab some water and take a ten minute break."

Lake nodded and wandered off to one of the air conditioned buildings next to the area of packed dirt she had been training in. Once she got inside Jesse ran over to her and threw his arms around her in a hug but quickly pulled away. "Ow! I forgot you get hot in the sun. It's like touching the seat belt buckle."

Lake laughed. "Yeah dingus. That's what you get for dating a metal girl in Arizona." She said grabbing some water and sitting down on a couch in what was technically a waiting room. Jesse had been watching her from the windows having been forced to retreat inside due to the heat.

"Well if we lived up north I wouldn't be able to kiss you without getting my tongue stuck." He pointed out.

"Yeah, could you imagine if we lived with my prime in Minnesota?" Lake laughed.

Jesse raised his eyebrow. "Is that where Tulip lives?"

Lake realized she had never told Jesse that. "Yeah, or she did. I haven't checked in on her since we went our separate ways."

"Not even a little stalking on social media?" Jesse asked.

"Nah I… it just feels weird. Like Tulip was nice and a part of me wants to see how she is but I also want to be my own person." Lake told him.

"Well why can't you do both? I mean look at me and Nate. Mom and Dad tell me all the time he looks up to me and he tries to copy me so I have to be a good influence but he's still his own person. You live like... thousands of miles away from her so I don't think calling her to tell her how you've been will make you any less independent." Jesse told her.

"I guess you have a point I think I'll look her up on Facebook or something." Lake said.

"What do you think she's doing right now?" Jesse asked.

"Probably programming or something lame."

\-----

"This is so lame." Tulip complained while watching her computer slowly load. She reached next to her and grabbed an onion.

"If you eat that I'm not kissing you for the rest of the day." Mikayla said, not even looking up from her phone.

"But babe." Tulip groaned. "You know I love them. Are you really going to make me choose between my two greatest loves?"

"You can eat onions when we're not hanging out but until you find a mint that kills onion breath in seconds your shit out of luck." Mikayla told her.

"Fine but do something to keep me busy while this piece of junk loads." Tulip said pointing at the computer.

"Well you can tell me about what kind of computer magic you're doing."

Tulip brightened. "Really? Most people find me talking about code boring."

"Yeah coding can be boring but I love you so nothing you're interested in is boring to me. Plus you can explain it while cuddling with me." Mikayla said while patting the spot on Tulip's bed next to her.

Tulip went over and cuddled up with Mikayla snuggling into her girlfriend's side. "Well I've been looking for my friend, the metal girl we saw on the news a month ago. She doesn't have any social media I could find so I made a program that looks at people's pictures and compares them to a database and matches them based on facial features."

Mikayla kissed the top of Tulip's head. "That's awesome that you were able to figure that out but what if she wears a mask?"

Tulip looked up at Mikayla confused. "What do you mean?"

"She clearly doesn't want to be found, the news has been looking for her and they haven't found anything. Still you said she was very different from you so I doubt she can spend weeks at a time indoors. So she has to get out and if she's made of metal but still going unnoticed she must be wearing a mask that makes her look normal." Mikayla said, explaining her logic to Tulip.

"Ahhhh! I deleted like ten games to make room for my program!" Tulip groaned. "So how do I find her?"

Mikayla shrugged. "Accept her friend request you cute spaz." She pointed to Tulip's phone on her bedside table. It was a friend request from someone calling themselves Lake who looked a lot like Tulip.

"Oh come on!" Tulip groaned.

\-------

"Ok I sent her a friend request. Surely she'll recognize me even in my mask. I still look just like her but a cooler haircut." Lake said. "Now break's over and I want to go punch something." 

"Kick ass babe." Jesse cheered.

"Not that I need it but give me a kiss for good luck." Lake told Jesse who happily obliged now that Lake had cooled enough not to burn his lips.

Lake left her boyfriend in the air conditioning and walked back into the hot sun and towards Mike who was now wearing a red suit of some kind along with five other men in matching outfits. "It's a bit early for Halloween isn't." She mocked.

"Funny. These are RedMan suits. They're designed to allow people to practice martial arts without holding back. All six of us are going to attack you and you will use everything you've learned to beat us." Mike explained. "The other guys are my friends and fellow instructors. Try not to kill us but at the same time don't focus on holding back. We're all aware we'll be bruised despite the suits but it's not everyday you get to train a superhero."

Lake cracked her knuckles. "Sounds good." 

"Get in positions!" Mike called and to Lake's dismay they fanned out around her completely encircling her. "Ok on the count of three we start. One, Two!" On two the other charged Lake from all sides and she realized they planned to try and trick her. That's fine real criminals wouldn't play fair either.

Lake let them all rush her and moments before they reached her she ducked and pounced at the smallest man. She caught shorty in a arm lock and flipped him over her shoulder. One managed to stop and swung at her forcing her to block but she shot back with a quick uppercut.

Next two were on her one with a rubber knife. Dodging to the side closest to the unarmed man she grabbed him by the arm and swung him into the other man with the knife.

Mike grabbed her from behind while she was distracted pressing his fake gun to her head. "If you can't break out I win!" He yelled. Lake stomped on his left foot then slammed her head back smacking her chrome cranium into his padded chin. Still it broke his hold and she threw him over her head and into the ground.

Another man ran up to her and Lake put him in a headlock forcing him to lean uncomfortably forward, this was made even more uncomfortable as she slammed her knee into his gut. Then she moved onto the last man still standing who had another fake knife. Lake turned and ran back to the forcing him to give chase. When she hit the building she jumped at the brick wall left boot kissing the brickwork as she pushed herself backwards towards him and turned her momentum into a roundhouse kick that despite blocking sent the man to the ground.

Lake walked over to where Mike was groaning on the ground and offered him her hand to help him stand. "I take it, I win?"

Mike nodded. "I think you did yeah. Just keep learning and keep improving. For you getting complacent means people will get hurt. That's the curse of trying to protect people."

Lake nodded at his words. "I understand. I'll keep in touch and maybe we can spare some time."

Mike laughed. "let me heal first then we'll see."

\--------

"Fuck it's cold." A man bundled in tattered clothes mumbled while he sat in a snowbank out. He had been staking out a home with the name 'Olsen' on the mailbox.

After a few weeks he had managed to confirm his bosses suspicions. He pulled out a phone and made the call. "Ey boss it's Watchdog. The brat doesn't have a reflection, now can I get out of this frozen shithole?"

"Good job mutt. Yes I have a job for you in Phoenix. I'll send Stoker to pick you up." The voice said over the.

"Sounds good Stationmaster I'll be waiting for 'em." With that Watchdog ended the call.

"Hey mister, are you ok?" Watchdog glanced over his shoulder to see a cop shining his light at him. "It's going to get cold soon. Do you have a place to stay the night?"

Watchdog sighed. The cop must have mistook him for a homeless man in his rags, but it wasn't like he could just go into the mall and buy himself new clothes. If they even made them in his size. Still there was some good to come from this. He stood from his coaching position as the cop was left to stumble back in awe as a Watchdog continued to raise. Five feet, ten feet finally he stood at his full fifteen foot height. The cop dropped his flashlight in awe as Watchdog turned to him with his mangy fur covering his body on full display to the officer. "Good thing you're here cop. I was getting hungry." With that Watchdog used his giant hound-like mouth to crunch through the cop's skull that he tore from the rest of his body. 

"Mmmmm. Crunchy on the outside chewy on the inside. Just the snack I needed." He looked down at the man's corpse on the ground. "I'll take the rest back to my camp and cook me up a nice meal. Maybe Policeman Pasta or Cop Chill." Watchdog slung the cop's body over his shoulders. "I don't know if I have any of those crackers I like for chili though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry updates for this have been slow. I finished this chapter on my phone a week ago but never had the time to really edit it at my computer.


	4. Chapter 4

"So we just kill the brat?" Watchdog asked from the back of the van he was in.

A tall woman covered in burns took a puff of her cigarette. "No you dumb dog. Stationmaster wants her alive. If we have to kill her, which we are supposed to only do if it's the only option, we take her corpse. Boss wants to see what's inside a metal girl."

Watchdog coughed as the smoke hit his sensitive nose. "Damn it Stoker! At least roll down the window!"

Stoker flipped him off. "Hell no. The wind makes my skin itch."

Watchdog growled but resigned himself to curling up in the back of the van. "Let's get this over with before I eat you."

"Hope you don't mind your food being a bit burnt." Stoker said unimpressed.

\-------------

"Fuckkkkk!" Lake yelled as she tried to hype herself up. "Ok. I got this I got this."

Jesse stood next to Sheriff Langston biting his nails in suspense. "This seems like a really bad ideal!"

Skeptic Cop, who Lake now knew was named Mark, adjusted his grip on his gun. "That's what I said kid, but no one ever listens to the voice of reason."

"All the tests show she should be able to take it." Believer Cop, actually named Gregory, shrugged.

"Steel! Are you ready." Sheriff Langston called out from behind Mark.

Lake stood in a thick S.W.A.T bullet proof vest wearing ballistic helmet on the far end of the firing range. After a few deep breaths she turned away from the group and held her left hand out. On the back of her hand was a target sticker. "Just fucking shoot me already!"

Mark took aim with his Glock 22. "Firing!" He yelled before squeezing the trigger. The bullet tore from the barrel in a cloud of flame and smoke that lasted for just a few milliseconds. Lake recoiled at the sound of the gun shot instinctively moving her hand away but it was far too late. Her hand had barely moved by the time the bullet slammed into it.

"Fuck!" Lake yelled, pulling her hand to her chest.

The others rushed over Gregory carrying a first aid kit. Jesse beat them all. "Lake are you ok?!"

Everyone was around Lake but she raised her hand high in the air. "I'm bulletproof!" She cheered. Sure enough the sticker was blasted off but her hand was unharmed.

Mark grabbed her hand and looked over it. "Not a scratch. Did you even feel it?" He asked the metallic girl.

"Barely, it felt like slapping a fly out of the air." Lake explained.

"Alright everyone calm down." Langston said. "As impressive as this is we still don't know if Steel is bulletproof just that she's resistant to small arms fire."

"Well we got a three-fifty-seven magnum and a AR-15." Mark said.

Lake smiled high on the adrenaline. "Bring it."

"Are you sure La- I mean Steel? Seems like we shouldn't push our luck." Jesse was understandably nervous about watching his girlfriend get shot.

"I need to know what I can take." Lake said. "Better to do it here with people who will make sure I'm ok than learn I can only take small bullets when a criminal is trying to kill me."

Jesse nodded though he was still nervous about this he saw the wisdom in her words.

"I got the guns!" Mark called out returning with the two additional weapons.

Sheriff Langston put his hands on Jesse's shoulders. "Come on son, let's get out of the firing line." He guided Jesse back behind Mark as he loaded a single round into the 357.

Lake meanwhile put a second bullseye sticker on her hand. Once she was ready she again held her hand as far from the rest of her body as possible. "Ready!"

Mark took aim with the magnum. "Firing!" Again lead tore through the air towards Lake's hand and slammed into it this time producing a ringing sound like a bell.

"Fuck." Lake cursed shaking her hand in pain but before the other could rush to her side she called out. "I'm ok! I definitely felt it but it still didn't break my skin! Shoot the next gun!"

"You sure?" Mark asked.

Lake nodded. "Even though it doesn't really hurt every part of my brain is screaming at me to stop letting people shoot me! Just do it before I chicken out!"

Mark looked at Sheriff Langston for confirmation but when the older man nodded he picked up the AR-15. He loaded a single round and called out "Range is hot! Firing!" For a third time a bullet flew towards Lake this time Lake didn't feel the bullet hit. At first she thought Mark had missed but when she looked at her hand she suddenly felt cold as liquid metal that looked like mercury dripped from her hand. It was weird she didn't feel scared. Maybe it was the adrenaline but the first thought she hadn't wasn't 'Oh shit!' But just 'oh so that's what my blood looks like, neat.' It took her as long to realize what had actually happened as it took the rest of the group to reach her.

"Lake! Oh my God!" Jesse cried in absolute terror. He tried to reach her but Gregory shoved him out of the way.

"Move. She needs a trained medic." He stated matter of factly. "Steel how do you feel? Are you in pain?" 

Lake was staring at the liquid dripping off her hand but she slowly began to process the words she heard. "Not really. It feels cold." 

"Fuck if she bleeds out we can't give her a transfusion. No one has metal blood." Mark said nervously.

"Is it trying to clot?" Langston asked with worry in his voice.

Gregory nodded. "It's clotting. Now calm down before you scare my patient." He poured some disinfectant on the wound and wrapped Lake's hand in gauze. "It just grazed her between her index finger and her thumb. I don't think it hit any bone. If she even has bones."

Lake chuckled nervously. "I uh guess I'm not a-actually bulletproof huh guys?"

Once Gregory was out of the way Jesse ran over to Lake. "Are you ok?" He asked, his eyes frantic with concern. 

"I will be yeah." Lake said hugging him.

"Well you're not totally bulletproof but most people would have to use type 3-A body armor to do what you did." Langston explained. "I'd also guess your head and chest may even be stronger but I wouldn't bet your life on that."

Mark nodded along with the Sheriff. "And if you wore some body armor as well it'd be like wearing two vests."

\---------

Amelia landed feeling the heat of the desert for the first time, unless you counted the desolate wasteland outside the train. She wandered the streets for a bit cursing as she was soon dripping sweat but eventually she found what she was looking for, an office building. She walked around back of the building and climbed into the dumpster behind the building. When she reemerged from the dumpster she had an arm full of about six old outdated computers. That night she found herself a place underneath an overpass and got to work frankensteining computers together. Once Amelia managed to complete her laptop she allowed herself to fall asleep. 

It took two more days of dumpster diving during the day and nights spent tinkering, before it was complete. Amelia walked the streets of Phoenix unwashed and looking just like a very unfortunate homeless person with the exception of the contraption she pushed ahead of her. Inside of a shopping cart she had assembled a monstrosity of electronics that filled the cart. An antenna made of an old salad bowl spun above her head thanks to a small motor and some PVC pipes. The bottom of the cart had three car batteries to power the device and Amelia stared at the laptop attached to the handle of the cart when she wasn't navigating. She pushed her cart through the city and into the suburbs following one of two dots on the laptop screen displayed like a blip on a radar.

Soon she was at a humble suburban home. She looked at the mail box and saw the name 'Cosays' on it. "Found it." She walked up the door and rang the doorbell. 

Jesse opened the door to see an old homeless woman with a shopping cart full of electronics. "Umm… can I help you?"

Amelia looked at him for a bit then asked. "Where's the Metal Tulip?"

Jesse panicked. He awkwardly laughed, obviously fake. "What? I-I don't know any metal girls."

Amelia looked at the boy and sighed. "Sorry that was weird. I'm not great with… people. I knew Tulips Olsen on the train."

"What train? I don't know about a train. What even is a train?" Jesse vomited the words up while sweating bullets. 

"You were on the train, weren't you?" Amelia realized. "Where else would you meet a metal girl?"

Jesse was silent before he did the only thing he could think of. He slammed the door shut. "Lake!" He called running upstairs to where his girlfriend was relaxing in her room.

"So then he shot me in the hand and the bullet just bounced off. I barely felt it." Lake bragged.

"That's awesome! I would've loved to have you help me with the Conductor." Tulips said over her Skype call.

Jesse slammed the door open. "Lake! Crazy train hobo!"

"What?" Tulip asked, seeing Jesse in the background.

"Is that some cover of that Ozzy Osbourne song?" Lake asked.

"No. A lady looking for you. She knows about the train!" Jesse cried, grabbing Lake's shoulders. 

"Where?" Lake asked.

"At the door!" Jesse yelled. 

"Right behind you." Tulip pointed out.

The pair turned to see Amelia standing in the doorway. Amelia coughed awkwardly. "The um door bounced back open when you slammed it so I… let myself in."

"Amelia! You got off the train!" Tulip cheered. 

Lake stood putting herself between the old woman and Jesse. "You know her?"

Tulips started. "Yeah she-" 

"Tried to kill her to use the train to bring back my dead husband." Amelia finished.

"Yeah. She did do that." Tulip finished awkwardly.

"So why are you here?" Lake asked as her fists clenched.

Amelia smiled. "I'm here to make you a real hero."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever. I thought I had already posted it. I was all bummed out this fic wasn't getting any replies so I kinda drug my feet on the next chapter till I realized I hadn't posted anything so I'm going to post ch4 then edit ch5 and hopefully get both up tonight. Also sorry if you wanted a more emotion reunion but this is my fic for when I fill like writing fight scenes so I'm not really focusing as much on the interpersonal drama.


	5. Ch 5

"This the place?" Watchdog asked from the back of the van.

Stoker finished a cigarette and immediately put another in her mouth. "Yeah, Stationmaster tracked some other former passenger to the train to this place."

Watchdog threw on a trench coat and wide brim hat. "We kidnaping them?"

Stoker lit up her cigarette. "No, we got enough passengers. This is an invitation to that metal girl. Let's see if she RSVPs." She said with a sadistic smirk. "Come on you mutt. It's time for a walk."

Stoker and Watchdog stepped out of the van. With his coat and hat Watchdog was able to slouch enough to appear as an extremely large but not impossibly large man. Stoker walked past the sign for the University of Arizona when a security guard noticed her. "Excuse me ma'am, I'm afraid this is a no smoking zone. I'm gonna have to ask you to put that out."

Stoker took a deep drag before she took the cigarette out of her mouth flicking it at the officer. "Fine I won't smoke."

The officer sighed. "Thank you but there was no need to flick it at me." He crouched to pick it up and when he looked back he saw a metal tube with a small blue flame burning on a smaller pipe just in front of the opening.

Stoker smiled the blue flame reflecting in her cold eyes. "You'll be the one smoking." She pressed the trigger and napalm flew down the pipe and hit the pilot light sealing the man's fate. As the man cremated Stoker looked to Watchdog. "Kill everyone." 

Watchdog straightened to his full height. "Gladly, I was getting hungry."

\------

Jesse felt himself drifting off as the professor went on and on about whatever mathematical stuff he was teaching today. He was quickly startled awake by the intercom crackling to life. "Attention, we are currently under a code red lock down. I repeat code red lock down. All staff and students please remain inside the nearest room. All staff lock and secure any entry points. Remain calm and stay where you all until the lock down is lifted. Do not allow anyone to enter under any circum-". A growl cut off the announcement. A few seconds later the announcement continued but with a new voice, a low animalistic sounding voice. "Attention meat, you're all going to die. Please remain calm as stress in animals before slaughter can give the meat a off taste I don't like. Oh and if anyone knows a metal superhero, call her." The intercom disconnected. 

Jesse did as told, pulling out his cellphone and calling Lake. "Lake! Get to the college, bad guys are here."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just before the drama at the college Lake circled a chrome motorcycle. "Isn't it a bit over the top?" She asked. "Like what if I have to tail someone? It's already going to be hard enough when I look like a disco ball, I don't need my bike reflecting even more than me."

Amelia pressed a button on a touchscreen in between the handlebars. It brought up a color wheel she picked red then decreased the brightness till red became black, once done she pressed another spot on the touchscreen and the bike shifted before their eyes into a pitch black.

Lake stepped back. "Ok, now that's awesome."

Amelia walked around the bike. "This was a Kawasaki HR2 but after all I've done to it, it's truly one of a kind. With technology never before seen off the train this bike can hit four hundred and eighty kilometers per hour or just under three hundred miles per hour. It has more gadgets than you can imagine, from oil slicks and caltrops to advanced emps, radar spoofing technology as well as encryption the military wishes it had. Run flat tires and additional petrol tanks ensure that the chase won't end till the baddies are in irons."

"Damn. How much did this all cost?" Lake asked.

"A lot, but between my life savings from before the train I was able to get and Tulip's money from her new game we have enough to get you well equipped." Amelia said.

Tulip, in town for a video game convention, nodded as well. "They're calling 'Infinity Train' the next 'Undertale.' Still I sunk most of the money into that so don't crash it if you can avoid it."

"The rest of Tulip's new fortune went into your outfit." Amelia said, leading them over to a clothes rack in the warehouse turned workshop. On it was a leather jacket, black skinny jeans as well as some accessories, from a spiked bracelet to a belt just as with back and white studs, and a necklace with the anarchy symbol hanging from the chain. Studs for her ears as well as black combat boots It looked like someone had raided a hot topic in twenty ten.

"Me and Amelia aren’t well versed in punk rock fashion but we did our best." Tulip said. Lake stripped down to her underwear and dressed in the new clothes despite Tulip's protests. "Dude, at least step behind something."

Lake shrugged. "Hey you seen me naked before. I was your reflection remember. Every time you stepped out of the shower before you put your towel on. Hell remember when you learned what mirror sex was and decided to master-" 

Tulip shoved her. "Let's forget that ever happened." Her face turned red as her hair.

Lake just laughed, while Amelia didn't seem to care either way though she did look away out of courtesy. Once Lake was dressed for a Green Day concert Amelia began to list off the features of her clothes.

"The jacket is bulletproof to about the same degree as you are, together with your metal skin you should be safe from anything. Still, I recommend avoiding shots just to be safe. The jacket is also flame retardant. The spikes on the bracelet are actually magnetic trackers. Simply stick them to something metal and either me or Tulip can track them or you can track them yourself from the motorcycle. The studs on the belt are smoke bombs or flash bangs, white for smoke black for flash. The necklace is an emp that will fry any electronics once activated, including your own so be careful. The studs in your ears are a communication device." Amelia listed and explained each device with a quick demonstration on its activation.

"What about the boots and pants?" Lake asked excited to see more cool tech.

Tulip shrugged. "They look good on you. I mean how do you put gadgets in pants and boots?"

"You couldn't give me, like magnetic boots? What if I'm in zero gravity?" Lake asked, disappointed.

"The only place you'll find zero gravity is space and even you can't breathe in space." Tulip pointed out.

"We'll do some tests on your gear and let you get used to it before you use it in the field." Amelia said.

At that moment Lake's phone rang. She saw it was from Jesse and smiled. "Hang on Jesse's calling, his class must have gotten out early." She answered his call. "Hey handsome, how's it… I'm on my way. Please stay safe." 

"What's wrong?" Tulip asked.

"People are attacking Jesse's university." Lake told them.

Amelia threw a helmet to Lake. "Go. Save the person you love."

Lake nodded putting the helmet on and revving up the bike. She tore out of the warehouse as fast as she could. Thankfully she had been riding dirt bikes with Jesse's family as there was no time to learn to ride a bike now. She took the bike up to its top speed as fast as she could. 

"Lake can you hear me?" Amelia's voice called right next to her ear.

"Loud and clear." She replied.

"Your bike has a police siren as well as a police radio. I'm patching you in now, remember everyone with a scanner can hear us so code names only. Your Steel, I'm Conductor, and Tulip is Oshkosh." She said while activating the sirens remotely.

"I figured you'd want to forget about the whole Conductor business." Tulip's voice came through.

"It's better to acknowledge your past and learn from it than to pretend it never happened. Plus it sounds cool." Amelia replied. "Now hears the police."

Lake heard the coms click before a female dispatcher's voice came through. "All units we have an active shooter at the University of Arizona campus all available units respond. S.W.A.T teams are inbound. We have reports of multiple deaths. Reports of two suspects, a woman with a flamethrower and some wolf like creature."

Lake felt her heart clench at the mention of multiple deaths, was Jesse one of them? Still she focused on the task at hand. "All units this is Steel, ETA fifteen minutes." She hated that, she wanted to be there now but it was a big city and Amelia's workshop was on its outskirts. The university was almost on the opposite side of the city.

"Copy that Steel." The dispatcher said. 

Tulip decided to speak up now. "This is Oshkosh, tech support for Steel. Do any of you have a visual on the suspects? Can you confirm one is a wolf?"

"Nova34 reporting, we are engaged in a shootout with both suspects. It's not a wolf but a near fifteen foot tall wolf like man. The other suspect is a woman about thirty years old, heavily burned." A man's voice cried, the controlled panic of someone only keeping their composure due to years of training.

The ride was chaos for Lake listening to police jargon. She heard 'officer down' at least five times. She wondered if they were anyone she knew. There was one silver lining, the campus the University of Arizona had in Phoenix was the medical school, so at least most of the students probably knew some first aid. She had to hold on to even the smallest bit of good news.

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The gunshots were getting closer Jesse realized. The professor had barricaded the door with everything he could find in the class. Still all it did was slightly inconvenience the duo. Watchdog slammed his shoulder into the door once breaking the lock then again sending the barricade flying. He ducked into the room bleeding from a few gunshots wounds but seemingly unfazed by them. Stoker came in a few seconds later. "Hey guys who wants to go to a barbecue?" She pointed her flamethrower at a group of kids huddled together.

"Wait!" Jesse yelled hoping up. "It's me you want!" 

Watchdog looked bored. "You're not metal." He sniffed. "Or a girl by the smell."

"I'm her boyfriend." He threw his phone at them and ran. 

Stoker picked up the phone slightly cracked from being thrown across a lecture hall. On its screen a picture of Lake and Jesse kissing. "Holy fuck he really is. After him he's the perfect bait."

Out of the room Jesse was immediately fired at by a S.W.A.T team. Jesse powered across the hall followed by a loud smashing sound. He turned and saw that Watchdog had smashed his massive frame through the too small doorway and was now hot on his heels despite dragging wood and metal behind him like a dog with a blanket stuck on it's tail. Except in this case it was a massive hell-hound dragging a heavy door frame that probably needed at least two burly construction workers to put in place. Stoker came tight behind him hurling a Molotov cocktail at the S.W.A.T team turning them into sentient birthday candles.

Jesse quickly realized he had no hope of out running Watchdog. Instead he made regular hairpin turns where Watchdog would go barreling into walls or other obstacles before correcting course. He turned a corner and saw the red orange of flame and the wicked smile of Stoker who had somehow cut him off. He managed to hit the ground and half roll half slide under her fire. He made it to the commons and hurled himself off the second floor to the first. Hoping to gain some distance as he hit the floor with a roll vaguely remembering that helps. It still hurt like hell.

He heard Stoker cursing as she hammered down the staircase. Watchdog however flung his hulking form off as well landing on a table. He howled as he skidded on chairs.

Stoker managed to reach Watchdog as he struggled to regain his footing and threw herself up on his back. "Move it you dumb flea bag!" 

Watchdog growled angrily at the additional weight on his back but soon tore off after Jesse. Quickly catching up to Jesse, Stoker let a gout of flame over Watchdog's head. Jesse felt the flames hit his Jacket as he turned a corner. The napalm sticking to his Letterman jacket. 

Jesse knew he didn't have much time before the flames reached his skin but he was close. He hadn't been running through the halls without a destination in mind and despite all the twists and turns he knew this college inside and out. He slammed into a pair of double doors swinging them violently open. Watchdog was right on him now and Stoker was taking aim.

The trigger of the flamethrower was pressed as Jesse's shoes pounded over the 'No Running' painted on the ground. The flames erupted as he pushed himself off the ground and the heat reached him right as he splashed into the water.

Watchdog skidded to a halt, his claws digging into the concrete of the poolside. Stoker's fire hit the water as the napalm floated on the surface content to burn atop the bobbing waves.

Stoker hopped off Watchdog's back angrily sweeping her flamethrower across the waves. "Get out here you little shit!" She saw Jesse at the bottom of the pool, their eyes met and Jesse waved at her. Stoker's eye twitched. "Watchdog! Get in there and kill him!"

"First of all I can only doggy paddle, so I don't know how you think I can get to him at the bottom of the pool. Second I thought you wanted him as bait?" Watchdog growled.

"I’ll settle for a corpse as bait at this point." Stoker said.

"Well, why don't you go down and get him?" Watchdog asked.

"Chlorine makes my skin itch." She said pointing to the burns on her arms. "I'll just cover the pool in napalm. He has to come up eventually and when he does, he'll breath in the flame and burn from the inside out."

Jesse watched through the shifting distortion of the water as Stoker set the surface of the pool on fire. Normally holding his breath wouldn't be much of a problem but after running as fast as possible just to have a chance at surviving left his lungs burning for oxygen. He swam backwards trying to keep a clear spot of water above him as more and more of the world above him turned to flame. He felt the opposite wall of the pool and could only watch as Stoker pointed her flamethrower down at his last window of clear water. She smirked and waved as she prepared to doom him to choose between a watery of fiery death.

Stoker stood above Jesse and smiled. "I'm going to enjoy watching you burn even more than usual." She waved him goodbye before hearing something loud behind her. She turned just in time to catch a metal fist to her face. Violently thrown into the pool she was left trying to swim back to the surface. 

Jesse grabbed Stoker's leg and yanked her back underwater before pushing himself off the bottom to breach the surface himself. "Lake! Take care of the dog I got her." He had just enough time to cry out to Lake before he was dragged underneath the pool.

Stoker pointed her flamethrower at him and pulled the trigger. The napalm came out but the light that ignited it had been snuffed out by the water. Instead the napalm was forced out and the pressurized oil knocked him and Stoker back a few feet. Jesse quickly righted himself and swam towards Stoker. The pyromaniac swung her flamethrower though the water but Jesse was in his element, swimming under and around Stoker to grab her from behind. 

Lake watched for a moment before hearing laughter. She turned to see Watchdog cackling. "Is this it?" He asked. "A tiny girl is what all this fuss is about? I've picked bigger than you out of my teeth."

Lake cracked her knuckles. "It's not about how big the girl in the fight is, it's all about how big the fight is in the girl."

Watchdog walked over to her till he towered over her about ten feet above her head. "That's just something prey tell themselves to sleep better at night. A lie so the little piggies feel safe from the big bad wolf. The boss wants you alive if possible so as long as you don't resist we won't kill you." He licked his lips. "Honestly I hope you do resist so I have an excuse to sink my fangs into you."

"Then you're in luck." Lake went to sweep the massive creature's legs but Watchdog jumped over her. His massive legs letting him easily clear Lake's height. He reached down with a massive paw and palmed Lake's head like a basketball as he flipped, he lifted Lake with him and slammed her to the floor as his own feet hit the ground.

Lake laid halfway embedded in the concrete of the poolside when she looked up and saw two massive paws swinging down at her. She barely managed to roll out of the way before they pulverized the ground beneath where she laid. She managed to get her hands behind her head and flip herself back up. She reached for her belt and pulled one of the smoke pellets she had and threw it at Watchdog.

The small device exploded into a massive cloud of thick whit smoke blinding the overgrown dog. Lake made a run for the stands the audience would watch swim meets from hoping to gain the Obi-wan advantage over Watchdog. The giant hound however dived out of the cloud and soon his predatory eyes fell on her. Bounding on all fours he closed the gap in almost no time at all and Lake's run for the stands became her being grabbed and violently swung into the stands. Her force was too much and the stands gave way leaving her under the upper stands as Watchdog stepped through the impromptu cave entrance. 

"I told you. In your small pond you're the biggest fish. A big strong girl made out of metal. But you're in the ocean now, and there's fish bigger than you can imagine out here." Watchdog picked Lake up by her arm holding her at eye level. "Though I have to give you credit, that was the best hunt I've had in a long time. Not bad Piggy, but you should've made your house out of bricks."

Lake looked around for a way out, bot far a piece of pipe torn by their fight. She grabbed it with her free arm. "Sorry Mr. Wolf, but this little piggy bites back." She swung the metal pipe and let the jagged metal sink into Watchdog's shoulder.

Watchdog dropped her with an anguished scream. Lake wasted no time driving her weight into his legs, finally toppling the beast. She hopped on his chest and began to punch him repeatedly as hard as she could.

Under the pool Jesse and Stoker grappled with Jesse latched to her back as she tried to get him off. Jesse was trying to follow the tubes leading from the flamethrower in her arm to the tank. Her flamethrower seemed to not need a massive tank on the back as it was small and easy to hide but the napalm had to come from somewhere. Jesse's lungs were struggling again as he wrestled his would-be murderer underwater but as his lungs screamed for oxygen he saw a small amount of oil leaking into the pool. His eyes trailed the leak to Stoker's waist where a few a three baseball sized balls were attached to her belt. Her shirt lifted to reveal the hoses leading from each.

Jesse grabbed the hoses and yanked as hard as he could pulling with his hands as his feet pushed Stoker's body away. The blast of compressed napalm blasted Stoker towards the bottom of the pool slamming her into the concrete below, red droplets began floating around her head. With his chest burning hot as the flames on the surface Jesse swam for the small open spot of water not covered by burning napalm. He breached the surface and gasped, desperately filling his lungs with precious oxygen while also scanning the pool for Lake. He saw the glint of her metal body hurled through the bleachers. Before he could call out to her Stoker breached behind him.

"Fucking Brat!" She screamed using the ripped tubing as a makeshift noose around Jesse's neck. "Die already!" 

Jesse reached behind him and grabbed Stoker with strength he only mustered thanks to the adrenaline in his veins he flipped Stoker over his head. Free from the hose Jesse filled his lungs with air using his swimming experience to his advantage to get the most possible oxygen he dived on the floundering Stoker. He pushed them both back under, deeper and deeper till Stoker's back hit the bottom.

Back on land Lake pummeled Watchdog for what felt like hours on end but may have just been moments as time as her mind focused entirely on the massive beast beneath her. Raise fist, slam down, repeat. Each punch against the massive mutt felt like punching concrete and even her metallic fist began to ache. 

Maybe it was a lapse in concentration or just a lucky move on Watchdog's part but as one of her blows descended the dog opened his muzzle and slammed it shut around Lake's hand. Lake screamed as she felt bone crunch. Watchdog bite was like a crocodile if not harder. He used this to flip Lake on her side as he stood dragging her with him.

"You're just a chewy hunk of meat to me." He garbled though his closed mouth before violently shaking his head like a puppy playing with a toy. And that toy was Lake as she was slung around her shoulder on her trapped arm was popped out of its socket.

Lake felt panic fill her as she was helplessly shook in Watchdog's mouth. His canines not piercing her skin but crushing anything beneath. She had to break free somehow. Punching him with her free arm said nothing as did kicking him. "Someone help! Get him off me!" She yelled over the sound of her own body being slammed into the concrete periodically desperately hoping someone heard.

"He's a super strong dog right? What if we play a loud noise through the school intercom?" Tulip said over the ear piece she had forgotten about.

"Already hacking it." Amelia replied. "Hang in their Lake."

Amelia easily hacked into the college system. A school had much less advanced security than an impossible train. "Someone else is in the system." She said after noticing she wasn't the only one lurking in the code they shouldn't be in.

"What? Who is it? Can you still access the intercom?" Tulip asked.

"I don't know and I can try it." She said.

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*Slurp* "Hey dude. There's someone else trying to hack into the system. Looks like their fuckin' with the intercom." A voice said cracking with prepubescents at the 'in' into.

Stationmaster didn't look up from the screen showing him the fight from the pool's cameras. "Test them. If they pass, let them in if they fail look them out of the system. You think you can handle that Dispatcher?"

A teenage boy, fat and pimply cracked his sausage like fingers. "Fuck yeah."

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Amelia watched as someone tried to trace her code and isolate it. She expertly avoided multiple attempts to corner her code jumping from place to place. Once it became clear that she couldn't be trapped the other hacker began bombarding her with junk designed to try and slow her down. Her opponent was good but inexperienced, a prodigy perhaps but he was no match for her experience. She made sure she was untraceable as the other hacker was certainly trying to pinpoint her location. They must be working for the dog and pyromaniac and if they were smart with more than code they knew she was working for Lake.

Still it was only a matter of time till she was in. She didn't bother going after the other hacker as she needed to save Lake. Instead as soon as she had control of the system she blasted a high pitch noise from the speaker.

Lake heard it at first but as the pitch increased it became silent for her but Watchdog ears pricked up. Soon he let go of her hand with a scream of pain. He stumbled backwards and soon slumped against the wall whimpering.

Lake didn't hesitate to take advantage, changing him before slamming her boot into his face with a drop kick that carried all of her momentum straight into his jaw. She heard a sickening crunch from his face and another from her shoulder as she landed on the same dislocated shoulder.

She forced herself to stand back up despite the pain. She watched and waited for Watchdog to move but his body stayed still. After a moment Lake exhaled in relief. "Fuck." She said exasperated.

She turned her attention to the pool. "Jesse!" She called out. "Jesse!"

Hate. As Jesse sat submerged on Stoker he realized he hated her. She slaughtered who knows how many students just to… just to what? Make a point? Prove a point? Fun? He didn't know but if he could he'd be demanding answers. Instead he just glared at her as she tried to kick him off but he held firm. After a minute her thrashing grew more violent, more desperate as she felt her lungs running out. He saw her begin to lose small bubbles near her mouth.

Years of experience in the water had taught Jesse somethings about holding your breath. When he was first starting to get into swimming competitively he had an instructor tell him something interesting. You see it's not that you run out of oxygen that forces you to breath, it's the buildup of carbon dioxide that gets you first. The burning in Stoker's lungs, the way her stomach convulsed as her diaphragm tried to force a breath from her. 

After another minute as Stoker's muscles lost their strength she stopped struggling. Instead she reached out her hand and placed it on Jesse's face forcing him to look at her. As their eyes met she pleaded silently through the blue chlorine haze. 'Please, not like this. Not like this.' She begged with a look. She no longer looked like a homicidal pyromaniac but a scared child. He knew tears mixed with the water around her eyes. Jesse closed his eyes and pushed down harder.

'No. No mercy. Not for you.'

He felt her hands begin to shake and eventually her whole body tense up. He tried not to think of them as death throws. He felt the wave of bubbles hit his face and could almost hear the aquatic scream they carried. He opened his eyes and stared down at her unconscious body. Jesse took her body in his arms and swam to the surface.

"Jesse!" Lake called panicking as she couldn't find him. She was seriously considering jumping in after him even though logically she knew she'd just drown beside him. Finally she saw him breach the surface and such in a deep breath. "Jesse!" She called running around the pool to the closest side to him.

Jesse swam, dragging Stoker's limp body with him. "Lake! Help me get her out." He said as he reached the side. Lake reached for him first but he forced Stoker into her hands first. After she hauled the woman out she helped Jesse. Once both were out Lake pulled Jesse into a kiss. She would've held the soaking boy in her arms forever but Jesse pushed away after just a few seconds.

He scooted next to Stoker and checked for a pulse. "Ok good." He said in relief. Jesse had been a lifeguard for many summer jobs at various pools. Jesse put his head to her chest and listed. He turned her head to let any water drain before he pinched her nose and breathed into her mouth four times. Then he put his head to her chest again. He repeated this process three times before Stoker began to violently cough. 

She looked around and saw Jesse kneeling over her. "You saved me?" She weakly said. "Should'a let me die."

"Maybe, but that's not the kind of person I am." Jesse replied.

"I guess not. You got off fair and square after all." She said. "Thank you." She whispered quietly.

Lake spoke into her ear piece. "Attention all units, both suspects are down, bring in the cuffs."

"Copy that Steel. We lost them when they were chasing that kid. What's your location?" Someone replied.

"The pool."she looked at Watchdog's unconscious body. "One of them is going to need really big cuffs by the way." 

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"Um sir. They lost." The fat kid said.

Stationmaster put away his pen and took his notes from the clipboard. "Yes they did." He held up a stack of notes detailing everything he saw in the fight. "But knowing your enemy is half the battle."

The fat kid shifted uncontrollably. "Is something wrong, Dispatcher?" Stationmaster asked the boy.

"It's just. That was. Kinda fucked up. Like did we have to kill those college kids? And what about Watchdog and Stoker? Like Watchdog was an asshole but Stoker, she was cool in a badass aunt kinda way. Like the kind that rolls up to the reunion on a motorcycle and lets you drink when you visit her " Dispatcher asked nervously.

Stationmaster put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I understand. They're our family. As we are all outcasts of society, scrapes thrown from the plate onto the dirty floor. But together we can for a new society where no one is a misfit. No one is cast aside. And when we have our place in the sun all those who made sacrifices for the revolution will be honored."

Dispatcher nodded. "Can't make an omelet without a few eggs huh?" He still sounded dejected but as though he understood the necessity in today's events. That still wasn't enough for Stationmaster.

"Tell you what. Why don't you go see Porter. Have them help you de-stress." Stationmaster offered.

Dispatcher blushed. "Really they'd do that for me?"

"Sure. Just tell them what you're in the mood for. They love a challenge. Just tell them your wildest fantasy. An elf, an orc, a neko, an alien, a anime character, a superstar, a girl at school, they can be whatever you need them to be. Just remember to tell them how beautiful they are, they put a lot of effort into making themselves perfect." Stationmaster smiled as the young boy rushed off. 

Stationmaster turned off the boy's forgotten computer. He smiled at the picture of Lake from the surveillance cameras. "You just made this fun my dear. But you're far too late to stop what has been set in motion." He pulled out a folder and waved it tauntingly at the still image. "But all your efforts to stop me just led me to the missing piece of the puzzle." The image shifted to a picture of Tulip Olsen out on a date with Mikayla. Stationmaster dropped the notebook on a small desk as he left the room. On the cover of the Manila folder was the word 'Apotheosis'.

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Back at the school with Dispatcher no longer messing with the system the sprinklers kicked into life. Soaking Lake, Jesse and the police officers who were busy putting both of them in cuffs or in Watchdog's case a heavy duty logging chain wrapped around his arms.

Stoker was handcuffed to a gurney as she was taken into an ambulance. "Hey kid, Jesse right?" She called.

Jesse looked questioningly at Sheriff Langston but he shrugged. "See what she wants. Take Steel just in case." He said before continuing to oversee the arrests.

Jesse and Lake walked over to Stoker. She seemed to be fine after Jesse resuscitated her. "I'll talk. See me in the hospital and I'll tell you what I know. It ain't much but it may help."

"Why help us now?" Jesse asked.

Stoker raised her arm as far as the cuff would allow her scarred skin still dripping slightly. "Ask just about anyone the worst way to die they'll say either burning alive or drowning. When I was burning alive no one helped. That became my philosophy. No one cares about you so why care about them. But you did help me, against all logic you didn't let me die. I'm a crazy fire obsessed bitch, but I know when to be grateful."

"But I was the one who drowned you in the first place." Jesse pointed out.

Stoker laughed a mad laugh worthy of getting her a roll as the Joker if they ever did a gender bent movie about him. "Cause I was trying to turn you into charcoal. I don't blame you a bit for trying to survive. In fact I respect you for it. Plus I know you're a good kid." She said almost fondly. "Ya got off fair and square."

"You said that earlier. What do you mean?" Lake asked.

Stoker rolled her hand over and both Lake and Jesse gasped. On her palm was the unmistakable glow of the number Jesse had on his hand on the train. But instead of a number Stoker's palm had a word. {Error}.


	6. Chapter 6

Lake and Jesse waited as the elevator slowly raised them up floor after floor in a hospital. Lake had her arm in a sling after it was dislocated. It took almost five of the biggest burliest officers they could find to pop it back into place. Jesse was wondering how many funerals he'd have to attend after Stoker's and Watchdog's massacre.

Lake saw the dark look in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, you alright? I mean I know you're not but I mean, do you want to talk about it?" Lake wasn't great at this whole emotion thing but damned if she wasn't going to help as best she could.

"I just wished I could've done more." He said.

"Listen. You took down Stoker all on your own. You saved, like hundreds of people and me. I was struggling with just Watchdog. Honestly it was kinda sexy." Lake said, biting her bottom lip.

Jesse perked up. "Really?"

Lake nodded slowly approaching him. "Oh yeah. Hearing about how you stepped up to distract those guys when they came to your classroom. Hearing about how you wrestled that bitch's flamethrower off her. The way you dragged her to the poolside and saved her life even after all she did." She had him pinned against the wall of the elevator. With her free hand she traced his jaw with her thumb. "It reminded me why I feel in love with you."

Lake leaned in and kissed Jesse. Soon the two were making out in the small elevator. So absorbed in each other they didn't notice the elevator stop or the door open. They did eventually notice the cough from behind them. They quickly separated and turned to see Sheriff Langston awkwardly looking away. "I um didn't mean to interrupt but I was going to show you to Stoker's room."

Lake nodded. "Yeah um thanks." The trio awkwardly followed the sheriff to a room with a pair of armed officers outside. 

"She won't tell us anything but she claims she'll talk to you guys." Sheriff Langston explained. "I think it will be best if you two speak to her alone. She's still recovering and is restrained to the bed. That said we'll be right out here if u need anything."

Lake nodded and entered the room with Jesse right behind her. Stoker was as expected laying in a hospital bed. I.Vs ran from her arm and she had a tube piping oxygen to her nostrils. She had adjusted the bed into more of a sitting position and smiled when she saw them but instead of happiness her face had an emotion neither could place. "Well damn. I wasn't entirely sure you'd come. I expected the metal bitch but not you too little man."

Lake glanced at the leather straps around Stoker's arms, legs and even torso and only approached when she was convinced they would hold. "I thought you wanted to talk, not just pathetically insult us."

Stoker laughed. "Oh those weren’t insults kid, just matter of fact observation. You'd know if I wanted to insult you."

"You just called me a 'bitch'." Lake pointed out.

Stoker laughed harder. "Hell I'm quite a bitch myself kid. It's no insult to me, just a fact. You got a temper burning in you. A fire if you don't mind the cliche of me being the one to call you that. Most people don't like women like that so they call you a 'bitch' to insult you but are to stupid to see the unintentional complement. 'Bitch' just means a girl who won't take no shit."

"I didn't come her to debat gender politics or fucking word definitions or whatever your doing. I came here to learn why you slaughtered dozens of innocent people. Why you did it all just to get my attention. And to figure out why you have a passenger number." Lake demanded.

Jesse sat down on the side of the bed. "Were you a passenger of the Infinity Train?"

Stoker smiled. "Obviously kid."

"Then why didn't it go away when you got off the train?" Jesse asked.

Stoker smiled. "Because I cheated. You think if I resolved my inner problems I'd have cremated a bunch of people? I got an offer to leave the train early. After I got off the train that way the number started saying 'Error'."

Something clicked in Lake's head at that moment. "Wait? Does that mean Watchdog was one of the creatures on the train?"

Stoker nodded. "Look at you putting that shiny brain to use. Yeah he's what some people call a 'Null'. He comes from a car where beastfolk like him hunt and fight all day. Believe it or not he was a runt most of his siblings are well over twenty feet tall. So to make up for his size he became savage. Making for size with sheer brutality. He got off the same way I did."

"And how's that? How did you just leave one day?" Lake asked.

"Simple a man showed up. Said he had 'Admin privileges over the train'. Offered to open a portal if I worked for him. I didn't buy it at first but I said if he could open a portal I'd follow him through and work for him. Still damn near shit myself when he actually did it." Stoker explained.

"I assume that's who sent you to attack the college?" Lake asked.

Stoker nodded. "Yeah, Stationmaster. That's what he calls himself. He gave us all code names based on old timey railroad stuff. Stoker is one of the names for the person who shovels the coal into the engine of a steam locomotive. Watchdog is a type of flag on the back of trains."

"What does he want?" Jesse asked.

"What everyone wants, kid. Power." Stoker told him. "In his case the power to remake the whole fucking world. To bend it all to his will. I don't know details but he calls it 'Project Apotheosis' and the Infinity Train is key to his plans."

"What's Apotheosis?" Lake asked.

Stoker shrugged as best she could but Amelia's voice cut through Lake's earpiece. "It means to reach the absolute peak or to transform into a god. Ask her what this Stationmaster looks like."

"What does your boss look like?" Lake demanded.

"Not what you'd expect. He's short, wears square glasses and has long hair for a guy. Pretty average all things considered. Only thing that makes him stand out is how he always wears what looks like an old timey conductor's outfit." stoker said.

"I think that's all we need to know. I need to talk to you back at my lab. I think I know who he is." Amelia said. Lake nodded. 

"We're done here. Unless you got anything else you want to ask her Jesse." Lake told them.

"I just want to know. Do you feel any remorse?" He asked.

Stoker smiled. "Not a bit. I can't wait to get out of this hospital and finally get to kill you."

Lake pulled Jesse back as the woman cackled. "The only thing waiting for you is a prison cell bitch."

They could still hear her crazed laughter through the walls. Sheriff Langston walked over to them. "Did I miss a good joke?"

Lake glared at the door to Stokers room. "I didn't find it very funny." She turned back to face the Sheriff. "She told me that whoever she works for wants to use the Infinity Train to become a god."

"You think he can?" Langston asked.

"I think he'll do anything to get his way. If he'll slaughter dozens of college students just to say 'hi' to me I'd hate to see what he'd do to anyone standing between him and his goals." Lake said.

"I'll go try and squeeze a bit more information out of her. Did you get a name for who she works for?" The Sheriff asked.

"I got a lead on his real name but he goes by Stationmaster." Lake told him.

The Sheriff nodded. "Good. Let me know how your lead turns out."

Lake and Jesse left the hospital silent during the drive out to Amelia's lab. Once they arrived and walked in they were greeted by Amelia and to their surprise Sheriff Langston.

"Sheriff how'd you get here so fast?" Jesse asked.

"I've been here since you first went to talk to Stoker. Your friend here said she may have some information for me." Sheriff Langston said. 

Lake eyes widened. "Call the guards outside of Stoker’s room! Now!"

The Sheriff quickly ran over to his squad car. "All units at the hospital report." Nothing but static.

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At the hospital as Jesse and Lake left the sheriff watched and as soon as Sheriff Langston saw them get in the car he smirked. He pulled out his gun and shot one of the cops at the door. The other jumped in surprise as he was shot reaching for his gun. Not Langston walked to the door and opened it.

Stoker laughed. "Awww. You came for me. I knew you cared, Porter."

Porter set to work undoing Stoker's straps. "I can assure you I don't."

"Aww I see that stick up your ass is the part you can't shape-shift. It's with you in all your forms you pretentious snob. If you want I can try and get it out for you." Stoker winked.

"We can have hate sex later Stoker. We have about a dozen cops here and the wiz kid is having a hard time scrabbling their radio. Seems like they expected us to tamper with them after the college job." Porter explained.

"Which we did, so good for them. Do you have my flamethrower?" Stoker asked.

"No Stationmaster told me to only kill those who tried to stop us. We gotta keep some balance, we want attention but not too much that the whole government is on our asses." Porter explained getting the last of the straps off. 

"Good luck with Watchdog then. Where is he?" Stoker said massaging where the straps had rubbed against her skin sensitivity skin.

"They couldn't get him in the hospital, he was struggling too much so he's at a separate location. The dog pound. Someone else will get him but not right now. We need you for a mission." Porter said.

Stoker laughed. "Oh I bet he hates that!" She chuckled while Porter shoved a gun in her hands.

Porter said nothing as their skin began to shift almost like it was melting off their body. Stoker looked disgusted. "Eww, I hate when you do that shit. Looks freaky as hell."

"We don't need anyone figuring out exactly what happened. That metal skank is going to figuring out that was a fake Sheriff but we need to keep how we did it a secret for a bit longer." Porter explained as they resolidified into a genderless being naked but with the same gentiles as a doll. Smooth skin where a sex should be and mounds that may possibly have been breast or might not be on their chest. Bald headed and colorless grey eyes looked back like a mannequin come to life. "Stay behind me."

"Police! Come out with your hands up!" A authoritative voice called through the door.

Porter simply opened the door as normal and leveled their gun. Firing off a few rounds as the five officers opened fire in return. The hail of gunfire slammed into Porter distorting their skin which rippled like Jell-O before popping the bullet back out. 

The bulletproof doll and the psychopathic pyromaniac walked out of the hospital as calmly as can be only slightly annoyed by the occasional police who was cut down by one of the pair's pistols.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile in Washington D.C. a man who looked and felt like a zombie raised from the grave and running on the mystic power of hellishly strong coffee stared blankly at the papers before him. His boss was on his ass and was demanding he somehow do the impossible. He grabbed his hair feeling the need to just rip it out. "This is what hell looks like. I died and didn't even realize I got sent to the bad place. I guess those fire and brimstone preachers were right, homosexuality is a sin. If only I hadn't taken it up the ass I'd be on a cloud watching the sunrise from heaven. Instead Satan has insidiously tricked me into thinking I had found a good job for the government only to trap me in this particular pit of damnation where paperwork will be my Sisyphusian task. As difficult as it is futile."

At that moment the door to his office was swung open with violent force and a woman with deep red hair and a face as if she was constantly breathing in the condensed odor of a sewage treatment facility invited herself inside. "Agent Epsilon, you figure out how to clean this mess up didn't you?"

Agent Epsilon looked about ready to cry. He tried to make himself presentable as he greeted the woman. "Agent Alpha, ma'am, I wasn't expecting you till tomorrow."

Agent Alpha glared at him, or maybe that's just how she looks at everything. "I have the governor of Arizona, that fucking orange ass in the White House, the dick wads who run the military, and about a hundred other cunts who think they're important blowing up my phone. You had until tomorrow but I decided you were going to either give me a solution to shut them up or I'd blame you and toss you under the bus."

Agent Epsilon was a meek man. If you cut in front of him in line he'd politely inform you that he was actually in front of you only to back down and apologize at the slightest hint of confrontation. When the person at the fast food place gave him the wrong order he simply consigned himself to eat whatever was in the bag and slinked out of the restaurant. Any other time Agent Alpha raised her voice at him he cowered like a submissive wolf to his alpha. Today however his emotions weren't drawn tight already and Agent Alpha's threat to fuck up his career for failing to do an impossible task caused that strand of sanity to snap. "What the fuck did you expect of me!? We have no fucking budget to handle shit! We can barely keep up with our fucking main goal!" Agent Epsilon was now standing pacing behind his messy desk.

"Don't you see Alpha? We're a fucking joke. All the other blackbook agencies have cool officers. The fucking guys who investigate aliens get to hang out at area 51 and had a whole trilogy of movies staring fucking Will Smith. I want a movie about us staring Will fucking Smith but it won't ever happen because we fucking suck and no one likes us! I mean shit were here in the fucking FRA's office! We deal with a Interdimensional anomaly that has abducted possibly thousands of people and we share a fucking breakroom with the dudes who deal with regular boring ass trains!" Agent Epsilon was hysterical now.

"I need you to calm down Epsilon." Agent Alpha said calmly. 

"Our codenames, that's another thing. We're supposed to only know each other's code name but I know your real name is Catherine and I know you know mine Is Stanley. We can't even do fucking code names right!" Agent Epsilon finally sat down. "Fuck." He muttered. He had had sex that didn't feel as good as getting that off his chest.

"Agent Epsilon. That was very unprofessional and that outburst goes against everything the FBPR stands for." Agent Alpha said coldly.

Epsilon shrugged. He was fired and he didn't care. He wondered if they'd just let him walk from an organization that wasn't supposed to exist. Probably not. He'd probably have his memory erased if they were capable of that. Or maybe they just throw him in prison. Or shit maybe they'll just treat him like a horse with a broken leg, take him out back and pop him in the brain. "Fuck it." He said aloud.

Alpha stared at him. That glare that might just be a severe case of resting an absolute cold heartless bitch face. "Agent Epsilon… I couldn't agree more." Agent Alpha smiled, it looked wrong. Like she wasn't designed to express emotion other than anger or disappointment but there it was. Instead of scolding him she reached into her purse and pulled out a flask. She filled the metal cap with brown liquid and passed it to Epsilon. "Cheers."

Epsilon drank it wincing at the burn while Alpha drank straight from the flask. She refilled his cup and they did more shots. "You have no ideal how long I waited to realize what a shit show this place is."

Epsilon let himself relax and resign himself to getting absolutely plastered before lunch, this was strong whiskey, a uneducated best guess, and Epsilon was a lightweight. "We got one job, help those returning from the Infinity Train reenter society yet we miss an estimated ninety percent of those returning from the train. It shouldn't take a genius to realize that."

Alpha nodded. "It's not that they'll too stupid, they just don't want to admit it. Now they want us to deal with the mess in Arizona just because it came from the train. We don't have the budget to even track down most passengers, how the fuck are we supposed to stop supervillians?"

Epsilon just nodded. "Your preaching to the choir. Let the FBI's UIU handle it, Or the GOC, they love shooting shit. But unless they want us to grab a gun and go deal with it personally they're isn't much we can do."

Alpha was silent for a while and Epsilon was content to just ponder his drink. Finally Alpha spoke up. "Hey Epsilon, are you gay or bi?"

Epsilon was startled by the personal question. In all his years at the FBPR she had never offered to get to know him at all. "I consider myself pansexual actually, but lately the only thing in bed with me is paperwork I had to take home to finish. So I guess I'm paper-sexual."

Alpha downed a especially big swig. "You want to go back to my place and fuck?"

Epsilon nodded. "Yeah." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ummm excuse me." A shy voice said poking their pimply face into a room. "Could I umm… talk to you for a minute?" 

"Of course I got some time." A woman said smiling at the teenage boy before her. "Can I help you Issac?"

The boy, Issac, walked in taking a seat on the comfy chair in front of the desk. "Thanks Ms. Monroe."

Ms. Monroe smiled. "Hey, I'm always happy to listen if any of you guys have an issue. Are you still being picked on Issac?" She asked, looking concerned.

"Not as much. The other kids sometimes tease me for being fat but you were right. Ignoring them helped. It's hard but this is a big orphanage so I can usually find a quiet place away from any bullies." Issac explained. "It's about that part time job I got."

Ms. Monroe nodded. "Yeah I heard you're making pretty good money fixing computers and doing programming for that guy. I know I was skeptical at first but hey… I can admit when I'm wrong."

Isaac shrank in the chair. "Well, you were right. I think…. I think I've been helping some really bad people do some really bad things."

Ms. Monroe stood and rushed to the other side of the desk. She pulled the boy into a tight hug as he broke down sobbing. "Breath Issac, just breathe for me kid." She said trying to calm him as Issac fell into a panic attack.

It took a good ten minutes of consoling the young teenager before Ms. Monroe had calmed him enough to explain. "Tell me everythingIssac. I can't help you unless you do."

Issac pulled his left hand up and began picking at it. "You see those Halloween costumes where people use fake skin to dress up like zombies? It's kinda like that." Issac peeled away the fake skin to reveal a green glow and the word [Error] on his left palm. "His name is Stationmaster and he thinks he can use a thing called the Infinity Train to become God. He'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait. I've actually had these written up on my phone for a while but I do my editing on my computer at home and every time I tried to edit something came up. Still here's two chapters. Also I thought I was cleaver by calling her Ms. Monroe and I thought it'd be a nice little revel but AO3 just had to use her first and last name in the tags so let me know if I surprised you. Also I wanted Stationmaster to be sort of plain because in real life anyone could be evil, you can't tell just by looking at them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are we there yet?" Jesse complained staring out the window at the changing landscape before him. The desert of Arizona gave way slowly to the farms of California and eventually to the Pacifc Ocean.

Amelia's hands tightened on the wheel of the R.V. "Lake, do you mind if I chunk your boyfriend in the bloody ocean?"

Lake bobbed her head with the music blasting through her headphones. Vaguely aware of someone talking to her she just said. "Sure, whatever." And went back to enjoying her music.

"Baby, are you really going to throw me under the bus. Like that?" Jesse asked.

"You've asked me that thirteen bloody times within the last bloody hour." Amelia complained. "This is why I never had bloody kids."

"I thought it was because your husband died and you became an evil woman in a robo suit on a train." Jesse said. 

"Well, that too." Amelia conceded. "I almost had a turtle daughter you know." Amelia hoped a story would shut Jesse up.

Lake hearing Amelia start talking about her personal life paused the 'Stone Temple Pilots' to listen. "A turtle what?" She asked, having missed most of what Amelia said because of her headphones.

"I said I almost had a daughter who was part turtle." Amelia said.

"You had a child with a turtle?!" Jesse asked shocked. 

Amelia grabbed an empty soda cup and threw it at him nailing him right in the nose from the driver seat while he was at the little table in the R.V. "No I didn't fuck a bloody turtle you daft child." She spat. "I tried to remake my dead husband but ended up with a child that transformed into a turtle when sad."

"What happened?" Lake asked.

"When I got off the train she chose to stay and help One-One. Her name is Hazel. I think she sees me more like an aunt but… I think if I had a child, I'd like one like Hazel." Amelia said.

"I know how you feel. I still miss mine and Lake's son. Alan Dracula." Jesse said, tearing up at the thought.

"The hell is he on about now?" She asked Lake next to her in the passenger seat. 

Lake who had long ago resigned herself to her boyfriend's antics just sighed. "Magic deer."

"Ok." Amelia said. "I'm going to focus on driving now. We're getting close so shut up. I hate driving in the bloody city."

"I can take over again." Jesse offered.

"Yeah granny, is it too much for your old lady eyes?" Lake teased

"Just because I couldn't see at night in the middle of the desert doesn't mean I'm too old to drive. Also I'd like to see you navigate a R.V through San Francisco traffic." Amelia complained .

Fortunately for Amelia's mental health they only had to cut through a small portion of the city before dipping back out and hugging the outskirts. Still Bay Area traffic lived up to all the stereotypes about it's hellish nature.

Eventually they arrived at an old manor style house on the outskirts of the city. "Alright children, Off the bus." Amelia ordered. 

Lake reluctantly put her head phones away to follow the older woman off the R.V. "So one of Stationmaster's people lives here?"

Amelia nodded. "Yes, an associate of mine told me that one of the kids at her orphanage had come forward with information. They say he's a computer wizard. Likely the same person who was lurking in the college's computer system during your run in with that rabid hound and that roasted nut job of a woman."

Lake turned to Jesse. "Maybe you should stay in the R.V babe. I don't like all these people learning I'm dating you. I'd hate for one of these assholes to go after you to get to me."

"No way, Lake. They killed some of my friends at college. They dragged me into this and I'm not going to be scared off. Besides how much more dangerous can this be than the train." He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a quick peck. "As long as we're together we can take on anything they throw at us."

Lake smiled as she rested her forehead against his. "Alright you big sap, but at least try to avoid using your real name."

"No point now." Amelia said. "They know who Jesse is since the college raid. They could easily find out anything about you they want."

"You know, Amelia, you're not helping." Lake said.

Their conversation ended when the door to the home opened. Lake didn't react but Jesse and the woman who stepped out both eyes widened in realization. "You!" Both gasp.

Lake looked at her boyfriend. "You know her?"

Jesse sputtered. "Wha? You mean to tell me you don't recognize her?"

Lake shrugged. The woman had dark skin and dreads and while Lake didn't know much about fashion she could tell the woman was dressed stylishly. She looked like she could own some makeup company or something. Lake was reminded a bit of the movie Black Panther as her outfit was modern professional attire with vibrant African colors and patterns.

The woman held her hands up as she stepped towards them. "First off I'd like to apologize to you both."

That voice sounded familiar to Lake but she still couldn't place the woman. "Look you look vaguely familiar but I don't know who you are or what you're apologizing for."

The woman sighed. "Ok, maybe this will help." He pulled out a tube of red lipstick and drew an oscillating pattern across the bridge of her nose. 

"Grace!" Lake roared and immediately charged the Apex leader.

"Wait! Let me explain!" She pleaded but Lake was already on her throwing a right hook. Grace stepped back and used her hand to push Lake's fist away from her. Lake then tried to sweep Grace's legs but the woman jumped over her leg and grabbed Lake pulling her into an arm bar. "I don't want to fight."

"You wanted to fucking wheel me back on the train!" Lake yelled. She used her superhuman strength to simply bend forward. Despite her best efforts Grace was tossed over Lake's back like she weighed nothing. Lake tried to jump in to pin her bit Grace rolled out of the way. 

Amelia sighed. "Of course she tried to kill Lake. Bloody typical." Amelia said and walked back to the bus.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Jesse asked, panicking.

Amelia popped her head through the R.V door. "What the bloody hell do you think I'm doing? Let me just grab something first."

Lake threw punch after punch at Grace who blocked each shifting Lake's momentum to one side or the other.

A minute or so later Amelia returned with what looked like a regular megaphone. "I haven't been able to test this yet so I'd step back." She advised Jesse as she pointed the device at the fighting women. She pressed a button and Jesse heard only a small squealing noise. Lake and Grace on the other hand both stopped in their tracks to cover their ears. Soon both were curled up on the ground trying to avoid the sound. "Directional speaker. For us it's only about forty to fifty decebals but to anyone directly in front of it it's about one hundred and sixty decebals. Pitch and volume causes debilitating pain but is designed to cut itself off before permanent hearing damage occurs."

Once the device turned itself off Jesse ran over to Lake while Amelia more casually went to Grace. Jesse tried to pick Lake up but once he realized he couldn't pick up a human sized chunk of metal he settled for just helping her into a sitting position. "Lake are you ok?"

Lake looked at him for a minute before asking. "WHAT!?"

"She's fine. Let's just get them inside for some tea." Amelia advised supporting Grace.

"LAKE! JESSE! I'M SORRY I TRIED TO KILL YOU!" Grave screamed. "I'M NOT EVIL ANYMORE!"

Lake looked at her puzzled. "WHAT?"

Grace looked confused before she asked. "WHAT?

Lake tried to clean out her ear with her finger, once done, she asked. "WHAT?"

"Nope. I am too tired for this shite" Amelia said. She smacked Grace on the back of her head and mimed zipping her lips. She then gestured to Lake doing the same fixing both with a glare.

Later inside a sitting room in the manor Amelia sat cups in front of each person and poured them all some tea. Grace took her cup and took a sip before continuing her story. "So then Simon is there cackling like he's the Joker, number covering every bit of his skin. When some origami birds save me. Then the Ghom pounced on him and…" Grace stopped talking just staring into her tea.

Amelia picked up the tale. "Have you ever seen Raider of the Lost Ark? It was like that. He melted away according to my reports. First skin then muscle then-"

"Stop!" Grave yelled. Tears in her eyes she practically begged. "Let's talk about something else."

Amelia sighed and put her tea down. "Sorry. Even I should've known that was too much. Tell them about actually getting off the train."

"Not much to tell. I helped the Apex on the path to becoming better. I reorganized them so that those with lower numbers acted as advisors to the rest helping lower their numbers. We fixed the shopping mall car into a safe place for passengers to rest and relax. Once I was sure the Apex was on the road to becoming better I sat out on my own. I played by the rules of the train and solved the puzzles the right way. It took about a year but my number eventually hit zero." Grace explained.

"How'd you end up running an orphanage?" Jesse asked.

"After I left the train I went home, to my parents. We had a… difficult relationship, that's why I got on the train in the first place." Grace explained. "They were shocked to see me after all these years. I told them I never felt loved by them so I had run away, not entirely a lie, I just didn't mention the train. I told them I joined a gang and ended up as it's leader but after my second in command betrayed me I left. After some clearing the air they apologized for never showing me love. Eventually they asked me what I was going to do and I told them I wanted to make sure no child ever grew up without feeling loved, I asked them to help me create this orphanage to do that."

Lake still didn't trust Grace. She wanted to get the information they came for and leave. "So tell me about this kid who's helping Stationmaster?"

"His name is Issac. He never really fit in with the other kids. They bullied him a lot. He's a good kid, really sweet when you get to know him. He's also a tech genius. He asked me if he could have an old broken computer I was about to throw out. The next day he had it fixed. He knows about coding, networks, it doesn't matter what it is, if it's electronic he's a savant with it."

"And Stationmaster hired him." Amelia said.

"A lot of kids have part-time jobs to earn some spending money. Issac told me he had found a job working for a small tech firm. Just helping them with odd jobs. Hell I met his boss, or at least whoever was claiming to be his boss." Grace explained.

"What did he look like?" Lake asked. 

"Like a nerdy guy. Shorter than me. He had glasses. Nothing really stood out about him. The most memorable thing about him was how forgettable he was. He was like if plain white bread was a person." Grace said.

"That sounds like the man I think Stationmaster is. Can we speak with Issac?" Amelia asked.

Grace nodded and stood. "Follow me." She led all of them upstairs and down a long hall. Boys of all ages walked around. "This is the boy's dormitory girls stay on the opposite side of the building. They can hang out with each other during the day, but my staff makes sure they're all in their rooms at curfew."

When they reached the end of the hall a young boy was standing outside the door knocking. "Issac! Let me in! I know you're in there you never leave!"

Grace knelt down to the boy's level. "Hey Kenny, what's wrong?"

Kenny turned to face her. "I wanted to show Larry and Liz my new comic book but I left it in my room and Issac won't let me in."

"Kenny, you know these doors don't lock right." She turned to face the other adults. "We try to respect their privacy by knocking but we don't want any of them literally locking us out."

"I don't know what he did but it won't open!" Kenny cried.

Grace tried to open it but it proved to be just as closed to her. "What the heck? Issac, you in there buddy?" Silence. "At least talk to me."

Lake pushed her aside. "Damn brat is probably hiding from us. Open up you little shit!"

Grace grabbed her arm. "Hey! Don't talk to my kids like that. And second watch your language around them"

Lake rolled her eyes. "They'll learn much worse from the internet. I'm kicking it in." Lake stepped back.

"The hell you are." Grace protested.

"How long has it been since you heard from him kid?" Amelia asked.

Kenny shrugged. "This morning. He hasn't left his room all day, not that that's unusual."

Amelia turned to Grace. "If Stationmaster found out he planned on talking he may be in danger."

Grace looked back and forth between Amelia and the door, soon she sighed and stepped aside. Lake kicked the door right by the knob, the first kick sent splitters flying, the second made a sound of falling objects from inside the room and the third kick forced the door open a small bit. Lake grabbed the inside of the door and pushed the door open bit by bit. Something heavy was barricading. "A little help." She said. Grace, Jesse and Amelia all started pushing. By now a crowd of kids had gathered to watch the adults slowly push the door inch by inch. Lake managed to slip inside and braced her back against the door and pushed against the wall finally opening it. "Stay out!" She commanded. "Let me make sure it's safe." 

Lake pulled out a high powered flashlight she had taken to carrying when she started playing hero. She scanned the room and sighed. "Grace, Amelia, get in here. Jesse, stay outside and keep the kids away." She called.

Grace and Amelia slipped in the room. Grace reached for the lightswitch in the dark room but Lake stopped her. "Don't touch anything." She turned her light to the center of the room. 

Issac hung from the ceiling fan on the walls behind him was a message written in drying blood. 'No spoilers- SM'

Grace fell to her knees and sobbed.

\----------

Porter and Stoker's vehicle pulled up to a small hill in the middle of the Great Plains as the wind rushing across America's heartland rustled the piree grasses. As they approached the hill a portion if it began to shift revealing a door. They headed inside and had to wait almost thirty minutes inside a small vehicle bay hidden in the hill for a second door to open. A massive blast door slowly opened itself finally allowing them to enter. Once inside, an intercom voice rang out through the massive subterranean facility. "You're finally back. Porter, go and rest, you've earned it. Stoker, I need you for a mission now. Report to my throne room."

Porter parked their vehicle in a large garage and exited. They got out of the vehicle and walked to the side and opened Stoker's door. Stoker pretends to swone. "Oh, such a gentle…person. Truly my knight in shape-shifting skin."

Porter shoved Stoker away. "Just go see the boss, and try not to get captured this time."

Stoker watched as Porter walked away and only left once their swaying ass was out of sight. She walked through the facility that alternated between claustrophobic halls to cavernous rooms filled with blinking machines. She reached a large room many stories tall and she stood about halfway up it's height.

Thousands of wires and pipes descended into the dark abyss below. Stoker walked to the edge and knelt. "I am ready for my next order Stationmaster."

From below a throne of pipes and machinery raised. Sitting inside a modified pod, Stationmaster rose from the darkness to Stoker's level. "No my friend, you're not." He said casually. "I reviewed your fight with that boy, Jesse Cosay according to my information, and I thought of some… upgrades we can make."

Stoker paled. "Upgrades? Do you mean to my flamethrower or… to me?"

Stationmaster nodded as he offhandedly pointed to a girl walking toward Stoker. "Yes. Now go with Woodham over here and she'll sort you out."

Stoker shook in fear. "Sir. I think that my flamethrower is perfectly functional I don't think-" she was forced to stop talking as a tingling sensation began in the palm of her hand. The sensation quickly grew until it was painful then it became excruciating. Stoker screamed in pain clutching her hand as her passenger number burned. 

Stationmaster moved his throne closer till he was close enough to the edge to step off and onto the floor Stoker was crumpled over on. "Life is a forward march. We must never settle for good enough when improvements can be made. Stagnation is the greatest threat to humanity. We must adapt and evolve." He snapped his fingers and the pain in Stoker's hand stopped. Stationmaster knelt down to her level. "Do you understand Stoker? If you can not adapt you die. I am offering you a change to take evolution and control it. Now will you let Woodham help you?"

Stoker nodded her head. "Yes sir. I will evolve to better serve you."

Stationmaster touched her shoulder. "You serve the future of humanity Stoker. Your actions will lead to a brighter future for our species when humanity finally has a god who will do his job."

The girl, Woodham, walked over to them. She wore tall black boots and dark red and black knee high socks up to her black skirt. Her top was a black corset worn over a long sleeve grey shirt. She looked like a hot-topic sellswoman working a part time job after high school. Stoker had no ideal how old she was simultaneously looking in her teens but acting like a sadistic old aristocratic. The woman raised a small device to her throat where an obvious scar from a wound that left Stoker wondering how she survived. The device vibrated allowing her to speak despite the damage to her throat. Her voice vibrated artificially as she spoke slowly. "Don't be so, alarmed Stoker. I assure you this, is a relatively simple, operation." She said taking regular breaks in her sentences.

"What are you going to do?" Stoker asked. 

"We will take your, exterior, flamethrower, and integrate it, into you." Woodham said.

"Your veins will be napalm and your words fire. Today the old you dies and a dragon will be born." Stationmaster waxed poetically. "Rejoice for this blessing granted to you by the world new god."

Stoker nodded. "I am blessed." She followed the silent woman as she walked to her lab that regularly birthed abominations. Inside the lab Stoker saw heaps of corpses with wires and pipes sticking from the flesh. 

Woodham noticed her attention and walked over to cover the dead, all women Stoker noticed, around her age. "Test subjects. As you can see, I worked hard to, ensure you will be, safe."

"Will it hurt?" Stoker asked.

"You will be unconscious, for the operation." Woodham said.

"How about after? I mean I'll have napalm in my veins. That can't be pleasant." Stoker asked, looking at her burned arms in concern.

"Our God was being, metaphorical, the tubes of napalm, will run next to you veins." Woodham asked.

"Has anyone survived this yet?" Stoker asked.

"They all survived, they just refused to obey, our new God, so they were shot." Woodham explained. She instructed Stoker to lay down on a hospital bed and then she had her breath in some gas. "Sleep, and be reborn, by our new God's grace."

Meanwhile Stationmaster looked through a bookcase full of tapes each with a person's name on them. He needed one with the right combination of various traits. "Ah ha!." He said as he grabbed was labeled ‘Simon Laurent’. “You’ll do perfectly.”


End file.
